Written Exposure Therapy to Improve Recovery among Sexual Assault Survivors | McLean | $59,168

Written Exposure Therapy to Improve Recovery among Sexual Assault Survivors

2022 Award: $59,168

An estimated 683,000 US women are sexually assaulted each year, and as many as half of these women experience severe posttraumatic stress symptoms six months after assault. This project tests the feasibility and initial efficacy of a five-session mental health intervention designed to prevent severe posttraumatic stress symptoms among survivors identified as being at high risk for severe posttraumatic stress symptoms. Results from this study will inform the development of a large-scale intervention trial.

Need/Problem: An estimated 683,000 women in the United States are sexually assaulted each year and 1 in 5 US women are sexually assaulted in their lifetime. As many as half of these women experience severe posttraumatic stress symptoms 6 months after assault. Currently, no interventions are provided to women sexual assault survivors to prevent PTS symptoms after sexual assault.

Grant Summary: The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility and potential efficacy of a brief, low-cost, 5-session teletherapy intervention to reduce/prevent severe posttraumatic stress symptoms after sexual assault.

Goals and Projected Outcomes: The results of this study will provide data demonstrating the feasibility and potential efficacy of the intervention. These data will be used to obtain funding to perform a large-scale intervention trial. If successful in decreasing severe posttraumatic stress symptom development and severity after sexual assault, this teletherapy intervention could be delivered at low cost to sexual assault survivors across the United States.