Can a 5-Session writing therapy ease PTSD in new moms?
NCT ID NCT07759882
First seen Aug 12, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study explores whether a short, evidence-based therapy called Written Exposure Therapy (WET) can help pregnant and postpartum women who have PTSD and a history of substance misuse. Participants receive five weekly telehealth sessions where they write about a traumatic experience in a structured way to reduce emotional distress. The study focuses on whether this therapy is acceptable and feasible for this group, and also tracks changes in PTSD and depression symptoms.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Written Exposure Therapy (WET), a brief, evidence-based therapy where participants write about a traumatic experience in structured sessions to reduce PTSD symptoms.
- What this could lead to
- If this works, it could offer a practical, short-term therapy option for pregnant and postpartum women with PTSD who are also dealing with substance use, potentially improving mental health and recovery outcomes.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small feasibility study, not a large effectiveness trial, so results may not generalize. The therapy may not be acceptable to all participants, and it focuses on PTSD symptoms, not substance use directly.
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 80 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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Aug 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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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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Able to write, understand, and speak English * Able to give informed consent * Currently pregnant or postpartum (≤ 6 months after childbirth) * History of substance misuse * Receiving services for substance-use related problems * Have a history of traumatic event exposure * Endorse clinically significant PTSD symptoms (score ≥ 3 on the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5; PC-PTSD-5) Exclusion Criteria: * Unwilling to provide consent * No history of Criterion A trauma exposure or clinically significant PTSD symptoms * No history of substance misuse or currently receiving services for a substance-use related problem
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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 Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205, United States
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