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NCT Number: NCT07576387

Extended Group Written Exposure Therapy for Comorbid PTSD and BPD (Traits)

The goal of this open label trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual group extended Written Exposure Therapy (GE-WET) in reducing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms in patients with comorbid PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or BPD traits. GE-WET involves attending weekly 2-hour group WET sessions for the duration of 10 weeks, in which they write about their trauma experience using specific instructions.

This study will be conducted at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton's Community Psychiatry Clinic with clients wait listed for PTSD treatment (ages 18- 65, any gender, co-morbid PTSD and BPD/BPD traits).

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

Does GE-WET reduce PTSD symptoms (based on PCL-5 measures) in this population (outpatient clients ages 18-65 of any gender, with a diagnosis of PTSD and BPD or BPD traits)?

Does GE-WET result in reduced drop-out rates for this population, compared to that of other evidence-based treatment for PTSD?

What are participants subjective experience of GE-WET?

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Key information

Conditions

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Borderline Personality Disorder Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Mental Disorders Personality Disorders Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders, Traumatic Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Reading and writing proficiency in English
  • Access to an electronic device to attend virtual group meetings
  • Age 18-65
  • Previous diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)/BPD traits
  • Completion of a DBT skills group via St. Joe's Community Psychiatry Clinic

Exclusion criteria

  • Diagnosis of an active severe substance use disorder or psychotic disorder
  • Untreated active psychotic symptoms, mania, or hypomania
  • Has attempted suicide in the 2 months prior to treatment beginning
  • Has engaged in high-risk self-harm (e.g., cutting, burning, asphyxiation) in the 2 months prior to beginning treatment
  • Has completed Cognitive Processing Therapy or another active PTSD treatment (i.e., prolonged exposure) in the past year

Treatment and study plan

Group Written Exposure Therapy

Behavioral

Group Extended Written Exposure Therapy (GE-WET) is a time-limited cognitive behavioural therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) aimed at allowing patients to process their traumatic experiences in a safe environment. GE-WET will consist of 10 weekly group sessions. Participants will be asked to complete weekly in-session written exposures where they will recount their traumatic experience. The written exposure will be followed by a guided discussion about the experience of writing the exposure. There is no homework assigned between sessions. However, group members will be asked to refrain from avoiding thinking about the trauma between sessions.

Primary outcomes

  1. PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)

    Time frame: From pre-treatment (1 week before the start of group) to one-month follow-up at about 4 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory

    Time frame: From pre-treatment (1 week before the start of group) to one-month follow-up at about 4 months

    A 36-item self-report questionnaire that assesses negative thoughts across three subscales: negative cognitions about the self (e.g., "I am a weak person"), negative cognitions about the world (e.g., "I have to be on guard all the time"), and self-blame (e.g., "the event happened because of the way I acted"). The PTCI has demonstrated good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity with other measures of posttraumatic cognitions.

  2. Borderline Symptom List- Short Version (BSL-23)

    Time frame: From pre-treatment (1 week before the start of group) to one-month follow-up at about 4 months

    The BSL-23 is a 23-item self-report measure that assesses for DSM borderline personality disorder symptomatology as well as associated problems such as self-criticism, loneliness, helplessness, and problems with trust. The BSL-23 has demonstrated high internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and strong convergent validity with correlations with depression and general psychopathology severity.

  3. Borderline Symptom List Behaviour Supplement

    Time frame: From pre-treatment (1 week before the start of group) to one-month follow-up at about 4 months

    The BSL-23 Behaviour Supplement is an 11-item supplemental measure used to assess frequency of problematic behaviours (e.g., non-suicidal self-injury, suicide attempts, suicidal communication, angry outbursts, misuse of substances, etc.) associated with borderline personality disorder.

  4. Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20)

    Time frame: From pre-treatment (1 week before the start of group) to one-month follow-up at about 4 months

    The TAS-20 is a 20-item self-report measure assessing for alexithymia (i.e., issues in identifying and processing emotions) across three factors: difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, and externally-oriented thinking. The TAS-20 has demonstrated adequate levels of convergent validity, good internal consistency, and good test-retest reliability.

  5. Experience of Shame Scale (ESS)

    Time frame: From pre-treatment (1 week before the start of group) to one-month follow-up at about 4 months

    The ESS is a 25-item self-report measure assessing characterological shame (e.g., shame of personal habits or personal ability), behavioural shame (e.g., shame in doing or saying something wrong), and bodily shame (e.g., shame regarding one's body). The ESS has demonstrated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability.

  6. Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS)

    Time frame: From pre-treatment (1 week before the start of group) to one-month follow-up at about 4 months

    The DERS is a widely used 36-item self-report measure assessing six dimensions of emotion regulation difficulties. The DERS demonstrates good internal consistency, convergent validity, and predictive validity of behaviours reflective of emotion regulation difficulties.

  7. Group Cohesion Scale - Revised (GCS-R)

    Time frame: Mid treatment (at about 5 weeks after start of group) and post treatment (at about 10 weeks)

    The GCS-R is a self-report measure that measure's group member's perception of their group and the strength of the bonds formed. The GCS-R showed high reliability for use in research and is sensitive to detecting changes in cohesiveness as a function of group development.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2028
Study completion
2028
First posted
May 8, 2026
Registry last updated
May 8, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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