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Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders and Disasters

A mixed-methods investigation of group Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD in a community outpatient sample

(PS13-73) A Mixed-methods Investigation of Group Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD in a Community Outpatient Sample

Sunday, November 17, 2024
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM EST
Location: Franklin Hall, Level 4, Marriott Downtown
Abstract Text: Written Exposure Therapy (WET) has emerged as a promising cognitive behavioural intervention for PTSD, with comparable effect sizes to existing evidence-based CBTs for PTSD. WET requires just 5-6 treatment sessions (compared to 12-16 sessions for other evidence-based interventions) and has been associated with significantly lower treatment dropout compared with other CBTs for PTSD. Limited research has investigated the effectiveness of WET in a group format, and few studies have included a qualitative component. The current study aims to investigate group WET (G-WET) from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective to increase our understanding of the effectiveness of this treatment format in a Canadian outpatient clinic specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Initial data collected from two cohorts of participants who completed G-WET (n = 11) were analyzed (% female = 73; mean age = 41.2; SD = 16.2). Qualitative interviews were conducted and analyzed for a subset of this sample (n=6). Post-treatment, p</span>articipants completed individual semi-structured interviews, which were audio-recorded, transcribed, and qualitatively coded in NVivo using a team-based descriptive phenomenological approach. Five themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: (1) Treatment sparks diverse improvements, (2) Writing: challenging, yet manageable and worthwhile, (3) Virtual format amplifies accessibility and comfort, (4) Social support as a pathway to progress, and (5) More, more, more: desire for extended support. Pre- and post-treatment quantitative data were available for n=7 participants. Paired sample t-tests revealed a significant improvement in PTSD symptoms as measured by the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) (t(6) = 2.87; p = .029) with a large effect-size (d = 1.08) from pre- to post-treatment. One participant dropped out of treatment. These preliminary findings indicate that WET can be successfully implemented in a group format and is associated with self-reported improvements in mental-health and well-being and objective improvements in PTSD symptoms. This work has significant implications for the treatment of PTSD in outpatient psychiatric settings where waitlists due to lengthy and intensive treatments often act as a barrier to accessing care in the Canadian context. Data collection is ongoing to validate these initial encouraging results.