Adaptation of Written Exposure Therapy in Substance Treatment

Treating OUD/PTSD in Residential Care: Written Exposure in Substance Treatment (WEST).

The purpose of this pilot non-randomized, uncontrolled clinical trial is to test the feasibility and efficacy of written exposure therapy (WET) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as adapted for use 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 question the study aims to answer is: 1) Is the delivery of adapted WET feasible and acceptable in short term residential SUD treatment for individuals with severe SUD?

Inclusion Criteria:

• Enrolled in residential SUD treatment at MTC
• Meet criteria for PTSD based on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5
• Be 18 years of age or older
• Have sufficient memory of the index trauma to write about it
• Be English speaking.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to give informed consent for any reason (e.g., cognitive impairment)
• Presence of acute psychosis or suicidality that would interfere with study participation
• planning to leave residential treatment before WEST could realistically be completed as determined by the investigator