NCT01773811

Effects of Narrative Writing Duration and Post-writing Processing Instructions on PTSD

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 49 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Mississippi, Oxford · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The current study proposes to directly measure how processing after participating in written disclosure about a traumatic life event affects physical and psychological outcomes.

Detailed description

Previous research has established the potential for narrative writing about traumatic events to result in positive benefits for physical and psychological health. Research has also provided evidence that written disclosure may reduce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Several mechanisms of action have been proposed to explain why written disclosure produces positive benefits, but all have focused on processes occurring during the writing session. It has been suggested, however, that additional processing may occur after the writing exercises are over, yet no research has studied the influence of this processing on outcomes. The current study proposes to directly measure how processing after participating in written disclosure affects physical and psychological outcomes.

Conditions

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Narrative Writing: Trauma-Assigned	Individuals will be writing about their most traumatic life event for 3 consecutive days for 20 minutes each. Those in the assigned group will be given instructions and weekly reminders to continue to think about their most traumatic event.
BEHAVIORAL	Narrative Writing: Trauma-Spontaneous	Individuals will be writing about their most traumatic life event for 3 consecutive days for 20 minutes each. Those in the spontaneous group will be given no further instructions.

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-02-01
• Primary completion: 2014-05-01
• Completion: 2014-05-01
• First posted: 2013-01-23
• Last updated: 2014-05-15

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States