Can a 4-session talk therapy prevent PTSD after a burn injury?
NCT ID NCT07656545
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a short, 4-session therapy for burn survivors and their caregivers to prevent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The therapy, called Promotion of Emotional Disclosure for Burns (PoED-B), helps patients and their loved ones communicate better about the traumatic event by reducing negative reactions and encouraging supportive conversations. The trial includes a small group of hospitalized burn patients and their caregivers, with some receiving the therapy and others receiving standard education. The goal is to see if this approach is acceptable, feasible, and reduces PTSD symptoms.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Promotion of Emotional Disclosure for Burns (PoED-B) - a behavioral therapy
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this therapy could offer a simple, short-term way to prevent PTSD in burn survivors and their loved ones by improving how they talk about the trauma.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small early-stage trial with only 44 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The therapy is brief and may not work for all types of trauma or relationships.
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 44 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2029
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 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * Alert, oriented, \& not withdrawing from substance at time of screening * Can read and write in English * Hospitalized within 10 days of burn injury * Anticipated discharge \<=4 weeks * Have an email, mailing address, and at least 1 smart device for telehealth sessions * PTSD risk score of 2 or greater (patient-only) * Willing to attend therapy sessions with a loved one Exclusion Criteria: * Currently incarcerated or in police custody * \> 10 days post-burn * Lifetime diagnosis of primary psychosis or intellectual disability * Ongoing reported domestic violence in the dyad * Unstable bipolar disorder, severe substance use disorder, or acute suicidality with imminent intent that does not remit within 10 days of burn-injury * Inflammation Confounds (patient-only) of BMI \> 40, metabolic syndrome, admission A1C of \>= 6.5% * Currently receiving couples therapy
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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
1 site. 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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University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine & Los Angeles General Medical Center
Los Angeles, California, 90033, United States
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