Written exposure therapy and app-delivered mindfulness-based meditation for PTSD and subthreshold PTSD in China: Design of a randomized controlled trial.
Muyang Li, Bingsu Wang, Qiang Chen, Danlong Gao, Yinyin Zang
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications June 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2021.100729 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial protocol Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 150 |
| Population | Chinese adults with subthreshold or full PTSD and comorbid insomnia |
| Interventions | Written exposure therapy mindfulness-based application |
| Duration | 5-session treatment; assessments at baseline, posttreatment, 3- and 6-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation PTSD |
| Keywords | Chinese Gq-5, gratitude questionnaire-5 Hpa-axis, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis Mba, mindfulness-based application Mlms, multilevel models Mm, mindfulness-based meditation Pcl-5, PTSD Checklist-Dsm5 Pe, prolonged exposure Pssi-5, PTSD Ptg, posttraumatic growth Written exposure therapy App, application Mhealth |
| Key findings | The protocol proposes testing whether written exposure therapy reduces PTSD symptoms in Chinese patients and whether adding a mindfulness-based mobile application to written exposure therapy reduces comorbid insomnia, compared with written exposure therapy alone and a minimal contact control. No outcome results are reported; the authors state this is the first application of written exposure therapy in a Chinese PTSD population. |
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and subthreshold PTSD are still major global concerns, especially in developing areas short of mental health resources. Written exposure therapy (WET), a brief 5-session treatment, has been found to be effective in reducing PTSD symptoms, but no studies have examined it in an Eastern context. Mindfulness-based meditation mobile application may be a promising approach to reduce insomnia comorbid with PTSD. The current study aims to: 1) examine the effectiveness of WET for Chinese PTSD and subthreshold PTSD patients, and 2) examine the effectiveness of adding a mindfulness-based application (MBA) to WET for reducing comorbid insomnia. The randomized controlled trial will enroll 150 adults with subthreshold/full PTSD and comorbid insomnia. Participants will be randomly assigned to written exposure therapy plus mindfulness-based application condition (WET + MBA, n = 50), written exposure therapy alone (WET, n = 50), or minimal contact control (MMC, n = 50). Clinical interview of the primary outcome (PTSD symptoms) will be administrated at baseline, posttreatment, 3- and 6- month follow-up, while self-reported PTSD symptoms and secondary outcomes (insomnia severity) will be administrated at baseline, every week and all follow-ups. This is the first study applying WET in Chinese PTSD patients, as well as examining a mindfulness-based mobile application as a treatment add-on for comorbid insomnia. Study findings will contribute to the knowledge of the effectiveness of WET and a mindfulness-based mobile application, and the development of a culture-adapted treatment protocol. ChiCTR, ChiCTR2000034119. Registered 24 June 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=55,467.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on PTSD, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- Using Mindfulness for the Treatment of Insomnia. Current Sleep Medicine Reports April 29, 2017
- The value of mindfulness meditation in the treatment of insomnia. Current opinion in pulmonary medicine November 1, 2015
- Mindfulness-based mobile applications: literature review and analysis of current features. JMIR mHealth and uHealth November 1, 2013
- Mindfulness Research Update: 2008. Complementary health practice review January 1, 2009