Written Exposure Therapy for Childbirth-related Post-Traumatic Stress (SCRIBE)

November 6, 2026 updated by: Amanda Koire, Brigham and Women's Hospital

Written Exposure Therapy (WET) for the Treatment of Childbirth-related Post-Traumatic Stress: A Pilot Study

In this research study, the investigators hope to determine whether Written Exposure Therapy is a feasible intervention for postpartum women experiencing trauma symptoms related to childbirth to complete. Written Exposure Therapy involves five structured psychotherapy sessions that can be conducted over telehealth.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) affects approximately one in twenty women after any given childbirth. Postpartum women are faced with unique barriers to accessing and engaging in evidence-based treatment for PTSD. Aside from avoidance, limited time and financial and logistical barriers regarding childcare can make it difficult to engage in long-term therapy or travel to frequent in-person visits. Therefore, postpartum individuals may find a brief telehealth-based intervention, Written Exposure Therapy, to be highly appealing and well-aligned with the demands of postpartum parenting.

Written exposure therapy (WET) is a highly protocolized evidence-based brief psychotherapeutic intervention for the treatment of PTSD that may be promising for women with CB-PTSD. WET consists of 5 treatment sessions. In the first, patients receive brief psychoeducation about PTSD and avoidance as a maladaptive behavior that maintains PTSD symptoms. In each of the five sessions, the patient writes about the same single traumatic event with a focus on feelings and cognitions during the event and how the event has affected their lives. Written exposure therapy can be conducted via telehealth, does not require between-session assignments for patients, is non-inferior to cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure therapy, and involves only four total hours of treatment, thus decreasing treatment time by 50-80% compared to other evidence-based psychotherapies for PTSD. This study aims to assess whether postpartum individuals would find such an intervention feasible and be able to maintain engagement to complete the protocol.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
15

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
        • Recruiting
        • Brigham and Women's Hospital
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Birthing individuals
  • 18 years of age or older
  • Living in Massachusetts
  • Can read, write, and speak English
  • Identified a traumatic event exposure related to their childbirth experience
  • Are between one month to two years postpartum
  • Have a probable CB-PTSD diagnosis based on a PCL-5 score ≥ 28.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current engagement in another form of trauma-focused psychotherapy
  • No or little memory of the traumatic event
  • Safety concerns including active suicidality, active psychosis, and heavy substance use with inability to cease substance use for at least 2 hours before and after each session.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Written Exposure Therapy
Behavioral: Written Exposure Therapy

Written exposure therapy (WET) is a highly protocolized evidence-based brief psychotherapeutic intervention for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Feasibility (retention rate)
Time Frame: From date of the first WET session until the date of the fifth WET session, withdrawal from the study, or determination of loss to follow-up, whichever occurs first (estimated average assessment period: 6 weeks).

Feasibility will be measured retention rate across five Written Exposure Therapy (WET) sessions. Retention rate is defined as the number of participants who complete all five WET sessions divided by the total number of participants who engaged in at least one WET session. A higher value indicates higher retention. We expect at least 75% of enrolled participants will complete treatment once initiated.
From date of the first WET session until the date of the fifth WET session, withdrawal from the study, or determination of loss to follow-up, whichever occurs first (estimated average assessment period: 6 weeks).
Feasibility (Engagement rate)
Time Frame: From the date of enrollment until the date of the first WET session, withdrawal from the study, or determination of loss to follow-up, whichever occurs first (estimated average assessment period: 4 weeks).

Engagement will be measured as the number of participants who engaged in at least one Written Exposure Therapy session divided by the number of women who enrolled in the study. A higher value indicates higher engagement. We expect at least 75% of enrolled participants will engage in treatment.
From the date of enrollment until the date of the first WET session, withdrawal from the study, or determination of loss to follow-up, whichever occurs first (estimated average assessment period: 4 weeks).
Acceptability (Credibility)
Time Frame: Baseline

Credibility will be measured using the pre-intervention credibility/expectancy questionnaire (CEQ) which assesses patient perception of whether treatment seems logical and useful. Credibility is scored as the sum of the first three scale items on the credibility/expectancy questionnaire. Scores range from 3-27, with higher scores indicating greater credibility.
Baseline
Acceptability (Satisfaction)
Time Frame: Study exit survey approximately 4 weeks after final WET session.

Satisfaction will be measured as total score on the post-intervention Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 (CSQ-8) survey. Scores range from 8-32, with higher numbers indicating greater satisfaction.
Study exit survey approximately 4 weeks after final WET session.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Changes in PTSD Symptoms Assessed by the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5
Time Frame: From enrollment to study exit survey approximately 4 weeks after the final written exposure therapy session.

The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a 20-item self-report measure that assesses the 20 DSM-5 symptoms of PTSD. Scores range from 0 to 80 and a score at or above 28 is indicative of probable CB-PTSD. A 9 point change represents reliable change.
From enrollment to study exit survey approximately 4 weeks after the final written exposure therapy session.
Changes in EPDS Symptoms Assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
Time Frame: From enrollment to study exit survey approximately 4 weeks after the final written exposure therapy session.

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a 10-item self-report questionnaire used during pregnancy and postpartum to screen for perinatal and postpartum depression. Scores range from 0-30 and a score at or above 10 is indicative of a positive screen for perinatal depression. A 4 point change indicates reliable change.
From enrollment to study exit survey approximately 4 weeks after the final written exposure therapy session.
Changes in PSS Symptoms Assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale
Time Frame: From enrollment to study exit survey approximately 4 weeks after the final written exposure therapy session.

The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a 10-item self-report questionnaire designed to assess perceptions of recent stress. Scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress. A 6 point change indicates reliable change.
From enrollment to study exit survey approximately 4 weeks after the final written exposure therapy session.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Brigham and Women's Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM)

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 11, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 6, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 6, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2025P000531

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared due to privacy and confidentiality concerns. Aggregate study results will be made publicly available on ClinicalTrials.gov and through publications.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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