Effectiveness of written exposure therapy for Korean patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: non-randomized treatment-as-usual waitlist-controlled study.

Abstract

Written exposure therapy (WET) is a five-session exposure-based protocol for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The brevity and tolerability of WET present the potential to overcome barriers in implementing evidence-based therapy for PTSD within the Korean mental healthcare system. This study investigated the effectiveness of WET in Korean patients with PTSD through a waitlist-controlled trial (KCT0008112). A total of 57 patients with PTSD were allocated non-randomly to either WET (n = 27) or treatment-as-usual waitlist groups (n = 30). Both groups were followed up until the twenty-fourth week after the initial session. Primary outcomes assessed included PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and general function. In the WET group, significant improvements were observed in PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and general function compared to the control group. After the waiting period, the waitlist group also participated in WET, and exhibited significant improvement in all scores. The between- and within-group effect sizes were large. The dropout rate in both groups was 10.9%, and the mean satisfaction ratings were 28.24 ± 3.33 (range 22-32; scale range 8-32). The present study provides evidence of WET successfully reducing PTSD and depressive symptoms and improving general function among Korean patients with PTSD. Moreover, WET was well tolerated and received by Korean patients with PTSD.