Background: Exposure to trauma is common and can have a profoundly negative impact on mental health. Interventions based on trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy have shown promising results to facilitate recovery. The current trial evaluated whether a novel, scalable and digital early version of the intervention, Condensed Internet-Delivered Prolonged Exposure (CIPE), is effective in reducing post-traumatic stress symptoms.
Method: A single-site randomised controlled trial with self-referred adults (N = 102) exposed to trauma within the last 2 months. The participants were randomised to 3 weeks of CIPE or a waiting list (WL) for 7 weeks. Assessments were conducted at baseline, week 1-3 (primary endpoint), week 4-7 (secondary endpoint) and at 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome measure was PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5).
Results: The main analysis according to the intention-to-treat principle indicated statistically significant reductions in symptoms of post-traumatic stress in the CIPE group as compared to the WL group. The between-group effect size was moderate at week 3 (bootstrapped d = 0.70; 95% CI 0.33-1.06) and large at week 7 (bootstrapped d = 0.83; 95% CI 0.46-1.19). Results in the intervention group were maintained at the 6-month follow-up. No severe adverse events were found.
Conclusions: CIPE is a scalable intervention that may confer early benefits on post-traumatic stress symptoms in survivors of trauma. The next step is to compare this intervention to an active control group and also investigate its effects when implemented in regular care.
Keywords: early intervention; post-traumatic stress; prolonged exposure; the Internet; trauma.