Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects millions globally. However, conventional trauma treatments sometimes pose challenges in terms of accessibility and time considerations.

Written Exposure therapy (WET) is a manualized exposure-based treatment. Typically, clients are directed to write about a traumatic experience in detail within an hour’s session. In addition to writing, sessions may involve elaboration of important emotional experiences and identifying maladaptive beliefs associated with the traumatic events. Clients have been found to experience an increased sense of control and agency as a result of confronting traumatic memories.

Denise Sloan is a leading researcher on written exposure therapy, a psychologist, and Associate Director in the Behavioral Science Division of the National Center for PTSD.  Using a randomized controlled trial, Sloan’s study compared the outcomes of WET with outcomes of prolonged exposure therapy (PET), a conventional treatment for PTSD. The results indicate that WET has significant efficacy in reducing PTSD symptoms in as little as five sessions lasting approximately an hour each.

Furthermore, the study found notable differences in retention rates between the two therapies. WET exhibited a higher retention rate, with participants being less likely to drop out compared to those undergoing PET. Sloan highlighted the importance of treatment retention, as premature dropout can impede the benefits of therapy.

According to Sloan, “We found that not only did participants see improvements in their symptoms comparable to PET, but they also had lower rates of dropping out of treatment.”

Moreover, Sloan emphasized the practical advantages of implementing WET within clinical settings. For instance, there is a minimal resource burden associated with WET. Unlike some conventional therapies that require extensive time commitments and resources, WET offers a streamlined approach, requiring fewer sessions and minimal additional resources from the clinic. This aspect of its accessibility not only reduces strain on healthcare systems but also enhances the feasibility of integrating WET into existing treatment protocols.

Sloan also underscored the ease of training mental health professionals in administering WET. This aspect is particularly significant in contexts where mental health resources are scarce or where there is a need to rapidly deploy effective treatments. By minimizing training requirements, WET helps a broader spectrum of mental health professionals to address trauma-related concerns within their practice.

– Vi Vo, Contributing Writer

Image Credits:
Feature: Unseen Studios at Unsplash, Creative Commons
First: Nik Shuliahin  at Unsplash, Creative Commons
Second: Cottonbro Studio at Pexels, Creative Commons