NCT07576387

Brief Summary

The goal of this open label trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual group extended Written Exposure Therapy (GE-WET) in reducing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms in patients with comorbid PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or BPD traits. GE-WET involves attending weekly 2-hour group WET sessions for the duration of 10 weeks, in which they write about their trauma experience using specific instructions. This study will be conducted at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton's Community Psychiatry Clinic with clients wait listed for PTSD treatment (ages 18- 65, any gender, co-morbid PTSD and BPD/BPD traits). The main questions this study aims to answer are: Does GE-WET reduce PTSD symptoms (based on PCL-5 measures) in this population (outpatient clients ages 18-65 of any gender, with a diagnosis of PTSD and BPD or BPD traits)? Does GE-WET result in reduced drop-out rates for this population, compared to that of other evidence-based treatment for PTSD? What are participants subjective experience of GE-WET?

Trial Health

63
Monitor

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
63

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable

Timeline
30mo left

Started Jun 2026

Typical duration for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
not yet recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

April 20, 2026

Completed
18 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

May 8, 2026

Completed
24 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

June 1, 2026

Expected
2 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

June 1, 2028

6 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 1, 2028

Last Updated

May 8, 2026

Status Verified

May 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

2 years

First QC Date

April 20, 2026

Last Update Submit

May 4, 2026

Conditions

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Keywords

borderline personality disorderposttraumatic stress disorderwritten exposure therapygroup therapyvirtual

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)

    From pre-treatment (1 week before the start of group) to one-month follow-up at about 4 months

Secondary Outcomes (7)

  • Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory

    From pre-treatment (1 week before the start of group) to one-month follow-up at about 4 months

  • Borderline Symptom List- Short Version (BSL-23)

    From pre-treatment (1 week before the start of group) to one-month follow-up at about 4 months

  • Borderline Symptom List Behaviour Supplement

    From pre-treatment (1 week before the start of group) to one-month follow-up at about 4 months

  • Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20)

    From pre-treatment (1 week before the start of group) to one-month follow-up at about 4 months

  • Experience of Shame Scale (ESS)

    From pre-treatment (1 week before the start of group) to one-month follow-up at about 4 months

  • +2 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (1)

Group Extended Written Exposure Therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will be invited to participate in group extended Written Exposure Therapy (described in the Interventions section).

Behavioral: Group Written Exposure Therapy

Interventions

Group Written Exposure TherapyBEHAVIORAL

Group Extended Written Exposure Therapy (GE-WET) is a time-limited cognitive behavioural therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) aimed at allowing patients to process their traumatic experiences in a safe environment. GE-WET will consist of 10 weekly group sessions. Participants will be asked to complete weekly in-session written exposures where they will recount their traumatic experience. The written exposure will be followed by a guided discussion about the experience of writing the exposure. There is no homework assigned between sessions. However, group members will be asked to refrain from avoiding thinking about the trauma between sessions.

Group Extended Written Exposure Therapy

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 65 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Reading and writing proficiency in English
  • Access to an electronic device to attend virtual group meetings
  • Age 18-65
  • Previous diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)/BPD traits
  • Completion of a DBT skills group via St. Joe's Community Psychiatry Clinic

You may not qualify if:

  • Diagnosis of an active severe substance use disorder or psychotic disorder
  • Untreated active psychotic symptoms, mania, or hypomania
  • Has attempted suicide in the 2 months prior to treatment beginning
  • Has engaged in high-risk self-harm (e.g., cutting, burning, asphyxiation) in the 2 months prior to beginning treatment
  • Has completed Cognitive Processing Therapy or another active PTSD treatment (i.e., prolonged exposure) in the past year

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Location

Related Publications (6)

  • Treadwell, T., Lavertue, N., Kumar, V. K., & Veeraraghavan, V. (2001). The Group Cohesion Scale-Revised: Reliability and validity. International Journal of Action Methods: Psychodrama, Skill Training, and Role Playing, 54(1), 3-12.

    BACKGROUND

  • Gratz, K. L., & Roemer, L. (2004). Multidimensional assessment of emotion regulation and dysregulation: Development, factor structure, and initial validation of the difficulties in emotion regulation scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 26, 41-54.

    BACKGROUND

  • Andrews B, Qian M, Valentine JD. Predicting depressive symptoms with a new measure of shame: The Experience of Shame Scale. Br J Clin Psychol. 2002 Mar;41(Pt 1):29-42. doi: 10.1348/014466502163778.

    PMID: 11931676BACKGROUND

  • Bagby RM, Taylor GJ, Parker JD. The Twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale--II. Convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity. J Psychosom Res. 1994 Jan;38(1):33-40. doi: 10.1016/0022-3999(94)90006-x.

    PMID: 8126688BACKGROUND

  • Bohus M, Kleindienst N, Limberger MF, Stieglitz RD, Domsalla M, Chapman AL, Steil R, Philipsen A, Wolf M. The short version of the Borderline Symptom List (BSL-23): development and initial data on psychometric properties. Psychopathology. 2009;42(1):32-9. doi: 10.1159/000173701. Epub 2008 Nov 20.

    PMID: 19023232BACKGROUND

  • Foa, E.B., Ehlers, A., Clark, D.M., Tolin, D.F., & Orsillo, S.M. (1999). The Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI): Development and validation. Psychological Assessment, 11(3), 303-314.

    BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stress Disorders, Post-TraumaticBorderline Personality Disorder

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress Disorders, TraumaticTrauma and Stressor Related DisordersMental DisordersPersonality Disorders

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
NA
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
SINGLE GROUP
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Psychologist (Supervised Practice)

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 20, 2026

First Posted

May 8, 2026

Study Start (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2028

Last Updated

May 8, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations

CA(1)