NCT04626050

General Psychological Distress, PTSD, and Co-Morbidities in Healthcare Workers Consequent to COVID-19

A Brief Phased Two-Step Intervention for Treating General Psychological Distress, PTSD and Co-Morbidities in Healthcare Workers Consequent to the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 120 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Weill Medical College of Cornell University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

It is expected that large numbers of healthcare workers will experience a broad range of psychological reactions and symptoms including anxiety, depression, moral distress, and trauma symptoms that will cause both significant suffering as well as occupational and social impairment. The purpose of this study is to find interventions which are helpful in treating psychological distress in healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients. There are two phases of the study. All participants will take part in Phase I, which consists of 4 sessions over a two-week period of either a narrative writing intervention or a medical music intervention. Participants will be randomly assigned to the narrative writing intervention or medical music intervention. After Phase I, participants will be re-assessed. Healthcare workers who meet criteria for PTSD will be given the option to participate in Phase II of the study, in which they will be offered a choice between one of two evidence-based treatments for PTSD: Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) or Exposure Therapy (ET). Both treatments are comprised of ten 75-minute sessions scheduled twice weekly. Participants will be allowed to choose a preferred treatment in Phase II. After Phase II participants will complete a final assessment concluding the study. All interventions will be offered using distance technology.

Conditions

• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
• Moral Injury

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Medical Music	Participants randomized to this condition will complete 4 medical music sessions over the course of 2 weeks
BEHAVIORAL	Narrative Writing	Participants randomized to this condition will complete 4 narrative writing sessions over the course of 2 weeks
BEHAVIORAL	Prolonged Exposure Therapy	Psychotherapy including imaginal exposure for PTSD
BEHAVIORAL	Interpersonal Psychotherapy	Psychotherapy that focuses on the effects of PTSD on current interpersonal functioning

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-01-20
• Primary completion: 2028-01-01
• Completion: 2028-04-01
• First posted: 2020-11-12
• Last updated: 2025-08-03

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States