Short talk therapy may stop PTSD before it starts
NCT ID NCT06210711
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a short form of exposure therapy, given soon after a traumatic injury, can prevent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Researchers will enroll 300 injured adults admitted to Level I trauma centers. Half will receive the brief therapy plus standard care, and half will receive standard care alone. The goal is to see if early intervention can reduce PTSD symptoms and improve recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Brief Prolonged Exposure Therapy (a short course of trauma-focused talk therapy)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a simple, early intervention to prevent PTSD from developing after a traumatic injury.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage trial. The therapy may not be more effective than standard care, and results may not apply to all trauma survivors.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 300 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2024
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Between the ages of 18 and 75 years old. * Admitted to Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas (BUMC), Baylor Scott \& White Medical Center at Temple (BSWMC), or Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin (FH/MCW) Level 1 Trauma Center Exclusion Criteria: * Patients in police custody * Patients not fluent in English * Patients with severe cognitive impairment * Patients who are acutely suicidal * Patients with active psychosis
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Get notified about this study
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Temple
RECRUITINGTemple, Texas, 76508, United States
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Baylor University Medical Center
RECRUITINGDallas, Texas, 75246, United States
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Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin
RECRUITINGMilwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a High-Fat tube feed save muscle after trauma?
- Can a Two-Day couples retreat ease PTSD?
- Can community health workers help trauma survivors heal?
- Can a personalized mix of nerve stimulation and therapy rewire the brain for better mental health?
- Can a therapist on a screen ease both trauma and pain?
- Can teaching soldiers to feel their bodies stop them from falling?