The Write & Sleep For Healing Study
Want to help develop new strategies to improve treatment
for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
Have you ever had any experience that was so frightening, horrible, or upsetting that you continue to:
□ Have nightmares about it or think about it when you do not want to?
□ Try hard not to think about it or went out of your way to avoid situations that remind you of it?
□ Be constantly on guard, watching, or easily startled?
You may be eligible to participate if:
□ 18 years or older
□ Generally healthy
□ Experiencing emotional distress stemming from a traumatic event
Procedures
For Screening and Evaluation:
□ Questionnaires
□ Interviews and physical examination
Possibility of:
□ Sleep studies
□ Writing about a traumatic experience
□ Taking an FDA approved insomnia medication (Belsomra) for two nights
This study consists of 6 visits at Howard University Hospital Clinical Research Unit
over a course of 4-5 weeks.
For more information about this study, please call 202-865-7185 or
email WSHstudy@howard.edu.
Compensation for time, effort and transportation will be provided.
Why are we doing this study?
Research has shown that writing about one’s traumatic experience reduces symptoms of PTSD. In addition, sleep appears to facilitate the positive effects of writing about trauma. Our research team’s previous study found that people who slept well after writing about trauma had greater benefit from this writing intervention compared with people whose sleep was compromised. We hope that this study will provide valuable information that helps researchers and clinicians improve treatment for people suffering from PTSD.