Screening & TReatment fOr Perinatal WomeN With PTSD in Substance Use Care SettinGs in Arkansas (STRONG Moms)
University of Arkansas
Summary
The goal of this study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of providing Written Exposure Therapy (WET), a brief, evidence-based therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) via tele-health to pregnant and postpartum individuals receiving services for problematic substance misuse in Arkansas.
Description
The primary objective is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a brief, telehealth-delivered behavioral intervention for PTSD among pregnant and postpartum individuals with a history of substance misuse. Secondary objectives include estimating the prevalence of probable PTSD in perinatal substance use treatment settings, assessing participant interest in receiving PTSD treatment while engaged in substance use care, and examining preliminary changes in PTSD and depressive symptoms following treatment. The study consists of two sequential components. First, pregnant and…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
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…
Interventions
- BehavioralWritten Exposure Therapy (WET)
Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is a brief, evidence-based therapy for PTSD. Clients receive 5 weekly sessions where they write about a traumatic experience in a safe, structured way for approximately 50 minutes followed by a brief check-in with their therapist. This process helps individuals make sense of the event, reduce emotional distress, and decrease PTSD symptoms over time.
Location
- University of Arkansas for Medical SciencesLittle Rock, Arkansas