Can expressive writing reduce the effects of stress from Hurricane Harvey on pregnant women and their unborn children?

Randomized-controlled trial of expressive writing in pregnant women affected by Hurricane Harvey: effects on maternal distress and offspring development

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN52932563

Enrollment

1000

Registered

2020-07-20

Start date

2018-02-12

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2021-06-21

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Prenatal maternal stress Pregnancy and Childbirth

Interventions

Participants (mothers) are randomly assigned to one of the three groups: expressive writing (intervention), neutral writing (active control) and no writing (passive control). Participants are assigned

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Female

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Pregnant at the time of Hurricane Harvey’s landing (August 25, 2017), or who conceived within 6 months after the flood, and their offspring 2. English-speaking 3. Aged 18 - 45 years 4. Living in Greater Houston area at the time of Hurricane Harvey

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Twin or multiple pregnancy

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Maternal PTSD symptoms at baseline and at 2 months post-intervention, as measured with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) 2. Offspring birth outcomes (date and mode of delivery), as measured at 6 months post-partum using an online questionnaire 3. Offspring neurodevelopment at age 6 months as measured with the Ages and Stages-3 questionnaire. There is the potential to continue follow-up assessments of the children at a later date	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Maternal PTSD symptoms at baseline and at 2 months post-intervention, as measured with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) 2. Offspring birth outcomes (date and mode of delivery), as measured at 6 months post-partum using an online questionnaire 3. Offspring neurodevelopment at age 6 months as measured with the Ages and Stages-3 questionnaire. There is the potential to continue follow-up assessments of the children at a later date

—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Maternal depression and anxiety symptoms at baseline and at 2 months post-intervention, as measured with a modified 40-item version of the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Scales (IDAS), including scales for depression, anxiety, panic, ill temper and well-being 2. Offspring temperament, as measured with the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised at age 6 months	—

Countries

United States of America

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026