Written Exposure in Substance Treatment

Project WEST (Written Exposure in Substance Treatment) Part 2

The purpose of this pilot randomized clinical trial is to test the feasibility and efficacy of written exposure therapy (WET) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within the context of residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. All participants meet criteria for PTSD and are in a short term residential SUD treatment program (target residential treatment duration = 28 days) regardless of the research. The main questions the study aims to answer are: 1) Is the delivery of WET feasible in short term residential SUD treatment for individuals with severe SUD; 2) Do participants in the TAU+WET condition have greater reductions in PTSD symptoms pre/post treatment compared to participants in TAU alone?

Inclusion Criteria:

• At least 18 years old
• Fluent in English
• Cognitively able to provide consent to the research
• Enrolled in inpatient treatment at the clinical site where the research takes place
• Meet criteria for probable PTSD based on PCL-5 score
• Be early enough in their residential stay to allow time to complete the WET protocol
• Have a clear memory of the traumatic event so they are able to write about itin detail

Exclusion Criteria:

• Reports significant suicidal or homicidal ideation with intent, untreated psychosis, or have other health limitations that may interfere with their ability to participate in the research