Expressive Writing Intervention for PTSD Prevention

描述(由申请人提供)：这项R34试点干预申请寻求资金，以评估一种旨在预防严重身体损伤成年幸存者发生创伤后应激障碍的新型干预措施的可行性和潜在有效性。这种干预包括书面的自我表露，源于基本的社会心理学实验室研究，并将被翻译为在上下文中使用的应用工具 创伤后住院后的善后护理。计划中的评估将从一个大型创伤中心招募患者，该中心为以西班牙裔为主的低SES社区提供服务。科学文献表明，这一群体可能特别需要新的干预措施，以防止与创伤相关的精神病理学的发展。有患创伤后应激障碍风险的研究参与者(N=106)将在住院治疗身体损伤期间被招募，并被随机分配到两种写作条件中的一种：书面情感披露(N=53)或对照条件(N=53)，参与者在其中写关于世俗话题的文章。这项计划研究的首要目标是收集必要的信息，以确定开展一项关于书面干预措施的全面研究的可行性和潜在优点，以此作为预防创伤幸存者发生创伤后应激障碍的策略。这项研究的具体目的是：(1)评估书面干预的可行性、耐受性、可接受性和安全性；(2)提供 初步评估书写干预是否有希望作为预防躯体创伤幸存者创伤后应激障碍发展的策略；(3)评估年龄、教育、阅读水平和文化适应作为干预对心理健康结果影响的可能调节因素的重要性；以及(4)考察书写干预对心理健康结果产生影响的可能机制。如果这项先导研究和随后的全面干预的结果被证明是成功的，那么创伤中心服务提供商将有一个通用的、低成本的、易于获得的工具来提供给 受伤幸存者面临与创伤相关的精神病理学的风险。这一工具可能对经济上处于不利地位的拉美裔幸存者特别有用，他们可能会选择不使用正式的心理健康服务。从这项随机对照试验中获得的关于治疗效果的可能的调节剂和介体的知识可以有助于开发更有效的干预措施。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This R34 pilot intervention application seeks funds to evaluate the feasibility and potential effectiveness of a novel intervention aimed at preventing the development of posttraumatic stress disorder in adult survivors of serious physical injury. The intervention, which involves written self-disclosure, is derived from basic social psychological laboratory research, and will be translated for use as an applied tool in the context of post- trauma hospitalization aftercare. The planned evaluation will recruit patients drawn from a large trauma center that provides services to a predominantly Hispanic and low SES community. The scientific literature suggests that this community may have particular need for novel interventions directed at preventing the development of trauma-related psychopathology. Study participants (N = 106) at risk for developing PTSD would be recruited during hospitalization for treatment of physical injury, and randomly assigned to participate in one of two writing conditions: written emotional disclosure (N = 53) or a control condition in which participants write about mundane topics (N = 53). The overarching objective of the planned research is to collect information needed to determine the feasibility and potential merit of mounting a full-scale study of writing interventions as strategies to prevent the development of PTSD in physical trauma survivors. The specific aims of this study are: (1) to evaluate the feasibility, tolerability, acceptability, and safety of the writing interventions; (2) to provide a preliminary evaluation as to whether the writing intervention possesses promise as strategy for preventing the development of PTSD in physical trauma survivors; (3) to assess the importance of age, education, reading level, and acculturation as possible moderators of the impact of the intervention on mental health outcomes; and (4) to examine possible mechanisms by which the writing interventions may exert their impact on mental health outcomes. If the results of this pilot study and the subsequent full-scale intervention prove successful, then trauma center service providers would have a versatile, low cost, and easily accessible tool to offer to physical injury survivors at risk for trauma-related psychopathology. This tool may be particularly useful for economically- disadvantaged Hispanic survivors who may choose not to avail themselves of formal mental health services. Knowledge derived from this randomized controlled trial regarding possible moderators and mediators of treatment efficacy can contribute to the development of more efficacious interventions.