Can talk therapy ease PTSD in pregnancy? new trial aims to find out.
NCT ID NCT06670079
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether a type of talk therapy called prolonged exposure therapy, plus small financial rewards for attending sessions, can reduce PTSD symptoms in pregnant women. Thirty pregnant women with PTSD will receive weekly therapy for 12 weeks. Researchers will measure symptom changes and how acceptable the treatment is.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- prolonged exposure therapy plus financial incentives for session attendance
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide an effective, non-medication treatment option for PTSD during pregnancy, improving mental health for both mother and baby.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early-phase trial with only 30 participants and no control group, so results may not be generalizable. The therapy requires weekly sessions for 12 weeks, which may be challenging for some.
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 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jul 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 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- 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: * Female * \>18 years old * Gestational age ≤ 25 weeks * Meet current DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder criteria based on the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 * Participants receiving psychotropic medications must be maintained on a stable dose for \>14 days prior to enrollment. Exclusion Criteria: * Male * Under 18 years old * Gestational age \> 25 weeks * No current diagnosis of PTSD * Current delusions or hallucinations, unstable bipolar disorder, imminent risk for suicide as assessed by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview * Enrolled in another ongoing evidence-based treatment for PTSD.
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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 Vermont
RECRUITINGBurlington, Vermont, 05401, United States
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