Prolonged Exposure Therapy to Treat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Pregnant Patients

Prolonged Exposure Therapy to Treat Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Pregnant Patients

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a treatment for adults with PTSD called prolonged exposure + incentives (PE+) works to treat pregnant patients. The main question it aims to answer is:

Does PE+ decrease PTSD symptoms?

All participants will receive PE+ to see if their PTSD symptoms at the end of the trial are less than at the beginning.

Participants will:

• Receive individual PE+ therapy for 1 hour weekly for 12 weeks.
• Receive financial incentives for attending each PE+ session.
• Attend assessment visits every 4 weeks for the 12 weeks of the trial.
• Allow research staff to collect some information about their labor and delivery from their medical records after their babies are born.

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.