Telehealth-Massed Imaginal Exposure for PTSD

Telehealth-delivered Massed Imaginal Exposure for PTSD: Toward Increasing Access to Alternative, Evidence-based Treatment Schedules for Virtual Care

NCT05450224•Medical University of South Carolina

View on ClinicalTrials.gov

Summary

The purpose of this study is to establish the safety, feasibility, and acceptability of very brief imaginal exposure therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) delivered by telehealth over the course of six-daily 60-minute sessions within a 10-day window. All study visits occur remotely, by telehealth. You will be asked to complete a pre-treatment assessment involving a clinical interview, video-based measures of emotional and physical reactions, such as heart rate and breathing rate, and self-report questionnaires to measure the severity and impact of trauma-related symptoms. These assessments are completed again 1-week, and 1-month after completing treatment. The researchers propose that massed exposure-based therapy delivered via telehealth will advance telemental health treatment options and personalized care for Veterans with PTSD.

Eligibility

Age

18 - 65 years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion Criteria

•Age 18-65.
•Ability to speak, read, and write English.
•Diagnosis of PTSD based on CAPS-5 (\> 3 mo. post-trauma).
•Seeking treatment for PTSD at the Charleston VA.
•Willingness and ability to engage in assessment and treatment visits through VVC, or another VA-approved telehealth videoconferencing platform.

Exclusion Criteria

•Currently receiving psychotherapy for another anxiety- or stress-related condition.
•Current substance use disorder diagnosis with repeated abuse or dependence within 3 months of study entry and unwillingness to abstain for 24 hours prior to study visits.
•Unstable dose of psychotropic medications within 6 weeks prior to baseline assessment (based on the DMSC; see measures).
•Medical condition that would contraindicate participation in treatment or assessment activities (e.g., severe cardiovascular problems; DMSC, and chart review; see measures).
•Current, or history of bipolar I disorder
•Current, or history of psychotic symptoms
•Serious suicidal risk or a suicide attempt in the past year, as determined by self-report (PHQ-9) and clinical interview (C-SSRS; see measures).
•Active neurological conditions, e.g., seizures, stroke, loss of consciousness or concussion (DMSC, and chart review; see measures)

Key Dates

Start Date

January 1, 2023

Primary Completion Date

January 1, 2024

Completion Date

January 1, 2024

Last Updated

July 8, 2025

Conditions

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Interventions

VVC-delivered Massed Imaginal Exposure

BEHAVIORAL

CIH Stepped Care for Co-occurring Chronic Pain and PTSD

NCT06219408

Chronic PainPosttraumatic Stress Disorder

View study

RECRUITINGNA

Augmenting Massed Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to Prevent Suicide Risk Among Patients With PTSD

NCT07238192

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)Suicidal Ideation+1 more

View study

Data Source & Attribution

This clinical trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

ClinicalTrials.gov last update: July 8, 2025Data synced to Clareo: March 29, 2026

Modifications: This data has been reformatted for display purposes. Eligibility criteria have been parsed into inclusion/exclusion sections. Location data has been geocoded to enable distance-based search. For the authoritative and most current information, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov.

Neither the United States Government nor Clareo Health make any warranties regarding the data. Check ClinicalTrials.gov frequently for updates.

View ClinicalTrials.gov Terms and Conditions

Telehealth-Massed Imaginal Exposure for PTSD

Inclusion Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

CIH Stepped Care for Co-occurring Chronic Pain and PTSD

Augmenting Massed Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to Prevent Suicide Risk Among Patients With PTSD

Ayahuasca, Esketamine and PTSD

Integration of Cognitive Processing Therapy and Relapse Prevention for Alcohol Use Disorder and PTSD

Mobile Anger Reduction Intervention

A Study to Evaluate Effects on Sleep and Safety of RE03 in PTSD Patients With Sleep Disturbances