Anxiety & Depression Association of America

Early Intervention for Postpartum PTSD: Comparing Written Exposure and Capnometry-Guided Breathing Therapy

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine two early interventions, Written Exposure Therapy and Capnometry Guided Breathing, to reduce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in women after childbirth as compared to usual care.

Conditions

Written Exposure Therapy
Breathing Techniques
PTSD (Childbirth-Related)
Postpartum Care

Eligibility

Eligible Ages: Over 18 Years
Eligible Sex: Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Inclusion Criteria

Age ≥18 - Delivered a live infant within 5 days - Severe maternal morbidity or infant admitted to NICU - PCL-5 ≥28 - English-speaking - Able to consent and participate

Exclusion Criteria

Active psychosis or mania - Current suicidal crisis - Current suicidal intent or plan - Cognitive impairment preventing participation

Study Design

Phase: N/A
Study Type: Interventional
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Masking: None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

Arm	Description	Assigned Intervention
No Intervention Postpartum Standard of Care	Participants will follow their current standard of care.
Experimental Written Exposure Therapy (WET)	Participants will complete 5 writing sessions. One 50-minute session will be held in the hospital before discharge, followed by four 50-minute sessions by secure video once a week. Sessions are delivered by a trained study therapist under licensed clinician supervision.	Behavioral: Written Exposure Therapy (WET) Participants will complete 5 writing sessions. One 50-minute session will be held in the hospital before discharge, followed by four 50-minute sessions by secure video once a week. Sessions are delivered by a trained study therapist under licensed clinician supervision.
Experimental Capnometry-Guided Breathing Intervention (CGRI)	Participants will complete one 45-minute in-hospital training session using the device, which includes a tablet and breathing sensor. They will then practice guided breathing at home twice daily for about 17 minutes each time for 4 weeks, with weekly phone check-ins from study staff.	Device: Capnometry-Guided Breathing Intervention (CGRI) Participants will complete one 45-minute in-hospital training session using the device, which includes a tablet and breathing sensor. They will then practice guided breathing at home twice daily for about 17 minutes each time for 4 weeks, with weekly phone check-ins from study staff. Other names: Freespira

Recruiting Locations

More Details

Status: Recruiting
Sponsor: Stanford University

Study Contact

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.