Bringing a short written therapy for PTSD into underserved primary care

Delivering Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD in Underserved Primary Care Settings

NIH-funded research Rand Corporation · NIH-11122273

This project brings a brief written therapy for PTSD to adults who get care in underserved primary care clinics.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionRand Corporation NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Santa Monica, United States)
Project IDNIH-11122273 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you have PTSD and use a primary care clinic, researchers will work to deliver Written Exposure Therapy (WET) right in that clinic by training staff and using a collaborative care approach. WET is a short, evidence-based treatment where patients write about their traumatic experiences across a few sessions instead of long, weekly therapy. The team will enroll adults with PTSD from participating primary care sites, provide the brief WET sessions during primary care, and follow participants over time to track symptoms and access to care. The goal is to make effective PTSD treatment shorter and easier to get in busy, underserved primary care settings.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults (21+) with PTSD who receive care at participating primary care clinics, especially in underserved communities, are the ideal candidates.

Not a fit: People who need more intensive, long-term trauma treatment or inpatient care may not get full benefit from this brief therapy approach.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this could make an effective, brief PTSD therapy available to more patients where they already get care.

How similar studies have performed: Prior clinical trials show WET can work as well as longer PTSD therapies, but delivering it within primary care settings is a newer approach.

Where this research is happening

Santa Monica, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.