The Effectiveness of Guided Imagery on PCL-5 Scores in Adult Women With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

July 18, 2025 updated by: Kellie-Ann Kerr, Nova Southeastern University

The Effectiveness of Guided Imagery, a Mindfulness Technique, on PCL-5 Scores in Adult Women With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects a significant portion of the population, with about 13 million Americans diagnosed in 2020. Women are twice as likely to have PTSD than men. PTSD will affect 8%, or 8 out of every 100 women, at some stage in their lives. This study will check the effects of guided imagery mindfulness on PCL-5 scores in adult women with PTSD. Participants in this study will complete a PCL-5 pre-test and post-test to check PTSD symptoms before and after 6-weeks of mindfulness sessions. Each participant will engage in 15-minute sessions of guided imagery mindfulness once a week for 6 weeks. Before and after PCL-5 scores will show the effect of guided imagery mindfulness on PTSD symptom severity.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Background: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects a significant portion of the population, with approximately 13 million Americans diagnosed in 2020. Women are twice as likely to have PTSD than men. PTSD will affect 8%, or 8 out of every 100 women, at some stage in their lives.

Purpose: This project aims to investigate the effectiveness of guided imagery, a mindfulness technique, on PCL-5 scores in adult women with PTSD.

Theoretical Framework: The Cognitive model of PTSD was developed to explain why some people do not recover after trauma and to identify maintaining factors that can be modified in treatment. This model suggests negative appraisals, disjointed trauma memories, and unhelpful coping strategies maintain PTSD.

Methods: Participants in this qualitative study will complete pre- and post-intervention PCL--5 questionnaires, a validated 20-item structured interview designed to assess PTSD symptoms. They will also engage in 15-minute sessions of guided imagery mindfulness interventions. Post-intervention, participants will complete a second PCL-5 questionnaire to evaluate any changes in symptom severity.

Results: Analysis of PCL-5 scores will provide insight into the effect of guided imagery mindfulness interventions on PTSD symptom severity.

Conclusions: Mindfulness has the potential to serve as a viable alternative or supplemental intervention for women diagnosed with PTSD. Through exploring the potential benefits of mindfulness-based interventions in managing PTSD symptoms, this study seeks to aid in the advancement of more effective treatment options.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

15

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • United States
    • Florida
      • Miami, Florida, United States, 33142
        • Jessie Trice Community Health Systems

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Females
  • PTSD diagnosis (ICD 10: F43.1)
  • 18 to 99 years old
  • Not pregnant
  • No suicidal ideations
  • No homicidal ideations
  • No audio-visual hallucinations
  • A mobile device, smart phone, laptop
  • Resident at the Residential Treatment Facility

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Males
  • Under 18 years old
  • Above 99 years old
  • Pregnant women
  • Active suicidal ideation
  • Active homicidal ideation
  • Do not have mobile device
  • Active audio-visual hallucinations

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: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Guided Imagery Mindfulness
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), such as guided imagery, emerge as promising alternatives for managing PTSD. Mindfulness necessitates participant training to maintain present awareness amidst wandering thoughts, fostering an attitude of non-judgmental acceptance towards thoughts and emotions. Mindfulness encourages, being present in the moment and supports emotional control.
Behavioral: Guided Imagery
Guided imagery is a mindfulness based therapeutic technique that involves utilizing positive imagery allowing one to cultivate awareness of their mental state and shift their attention from ruminative thought patterns to the present moment. Evidence-based research shows that benefits of Guided imagery include relaxation, stress reduction, anxiety reduction, immune system enhancement, and overall well-being.
Other Names:
  • Guided Meditation
  • Mental Imagery
  • Visualization
  • Imagery
  • Mental Rehearsal

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change from Baseline PTSD Symptom Severity Using PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) Scores at 6 weeks
Time Frame: 6 weeks

PCL-5 is a 20-item self-report measure that assesses the presence and severity of PTSD symptoms.

Participants rate how bothered they have been by each of 20 items in the past month on a 5- point Likert scale ranging from 0-4.

Items are summed to provide a total severity score (range = 0-80). 0 = Not at all 1 = A little bit 2 = Moderately 3 = Quite a bit 4 = Extremely

Range: 0 (best outcome) to 80 (worst outcome)
6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Nova Southeastern University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

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)

February 19, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

February 19, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

May 5, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 30, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 30, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

November 1, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 23, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 18, 2025

Last Verified

April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2024-471

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

IPD will not be shared to protect the privacy and confidentiality of the participants. Sharing participant data may pose risks of identifying individuals in studies, with limited sample sizes or unique demographic profiles.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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