Comparing two therapies for PTSD in military personnel

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of two therapeutic approaches for treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) resulting from Military Sexual Trauma (MST): Exposure Therapy (ET) and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT). Participants will include English-speaking military personnel who are survivors of MST and have been diagnosed with PTSD. The study will assess whether IPT and ET yield similar outcomes in alleviating PTSD symptoms, with the ultimate goal of improving treatment options for affected individuals.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* English-speaking
* Military Sexual Trauma (MST) survivors, with MST defined as actual or threatened sexual violence, from Vietnam era to current Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation New Dawn
* Diagnosed with PTSD consequent to MST, with a minimum CAPS score \> 40
* Medically stable at time of study enrollment (for persons with chronic injuries and that any disability present does not prevent attendance of weekly outpatient therapy sessions)
* Ability to provide informed consent and function at an intellectual level sufficient to allow accurate completion of all assessment instruments
* Stable on psychotropic medication for the prior 60 days

Exclusion Criteria:

* Lifetime or current diagnosis of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder
* Participation in a clinical trial or concurrent evidence-based treatment for MST-related psychiatric conditions or PTSD during the previous 3 months
* Current evidence of significant unstable medical illness or organic brain impairment such that the patient could not attend sessions regularly or complete assessments
* Patients who in the investigator's judgment pose a current homicidal or suicidal risk
* Current or history of substance dependence in the past 90 days.

Where it's running

• Weill Cornell Medicine
  New York, New York, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: JoAnn Difede, PhD — Weill Medical College of Cornell University
• Study coordinator: Olivia Baryluk, BS
• Email: olb4002@med.cornell.edu
• Phone: 212-821-0783

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.