Newswise — A unique tactic to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a physical injury is being studied in patients at Level I trauma centers in three medical centers in Texas and Wisconsin:
- Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas
- Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple
- Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin
The study, Prevention of Post-Traumatic Stress: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Brief Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Injured Individuals Admitted to a Level I Trauma Center, is funded by a $2.7 million award from the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program.
The four-year Phase 2 randomized controlled trial is testing modified brief prolonged exposure therapy and comparing it to treatment-as-usual for trauma survivors in the hospital setting before the onset of PTSD. Prolonged exposure therapy is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD that helps patients process traumatic memories through talk therapy. Modified brief prolonged exposure therapy consists of three 60-minute sessions that include education about PTSD, imaginal exposure to traumatic memories, guidance for behavioral exposure to situations that provoke trauma-related fear, and discussion of the meaning and impact of the trauma.
"Previous research shows that 20-40% of trauma survivors are at risk for post-traumatic responses after their injury and subsequent hospital stay," said Ann Marie Warren, Ph.D., ABPP, research center director for behavioral health at Baylor Scott & White Research Institute. Dr. Warren serves as principal investigator of the trial. "This study is the natural extension of our research program, wherein we have been conducting research over the years with patients in Level I trauma centers to help better understand, and hopefully eventually mitigate, the negative psychological outcomes after injury."
Eligible participants are recruited from patients admitted to the Level I trauma centers, and 100 patients will be enrolled per site. Participants will receive three sessions of prolonged exposure therapy and then followed for six months to monitor the development of PTSD and secondary outcomes related to quality of life.
The work was supported by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs endorsed by the Department of Defense, in the amount of $2,763,615, through the Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health Research Program under Award No. HT9425-23-1-0884. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs or the Department of Defense.
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