Five-session written therapy for veterans with PTSD and substance use problems
Written Exposure Therapy (WET) as a brief trauma treatment for Veterans with Co-occurring Substance Use Disorders and PTSD
This project uses a five-session written exposure therapy to help veterans with PTSD and substance use disorders reduce trauma symptoms and stay engaged in addiction care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Connecticut Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (West Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11132607 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you're a veteran getting treatment for substance use and have PTSD, this program offers a short, clinic-based written exposure therapy delivered in five sessions. You would complete structured writing about traumatic events in sessions led by clinic staff who receive brief training to deliver the method. The approach is designed to fit into busy outpatient SUD clinics with lower dropout and high patient satisfaction reported in other settings. The team is testing whether this brief, low-resource therapy can lower PTSD symptoms and improve engagement in addiction treatment for veterans.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are veterans receiving care for substance use disorders who also have PTSD and can attend outpatient sessions at the VA clinic.
Not a fit: This treatment may not suit people without PTSD, those currently in inpatient detox or residential programs, or those with uncontrolled psychosis or immediate safety risks.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce PTSD symptoms and improve retention and outcomes in addiction treatment using a short, low-training therapy.
How similar studies have performed: WET has been shown in prior trials to effectively reduce PTSD symptoms, including a feasibility study in women in residential SUD treatment, and this work extends that approach to veterans in outpatient care.
Where this research is happening
West Haven, United States
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System — West Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Meshberg-Cohen, Sarah — VA Connecticut Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Meshberg-Cohen, Sarah
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.