Evaluation of Web-Based CBT for Rape Victims

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT02777294

Enrollment

Registered

2016-05-19

Start date

2012-05-31

Completion date

2014-08-31

Last updated

2016-05-19

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

Conditions

PTSD

Brief summary

Rape is unfortunately a common experience among women, affecting between 13 and 20%. In addition, up to 50% of all rape victims experience significant and persistent psychological distress. While cognitive-behavioral interventions have been found to be successful at alleviating distress among victims; the majority do not seek out these services, often because of feelings of stigma and self-blame. One potential method for circumventing these barriers is through online administered treatment. Thus, the current project is designed to conduct an initial evaluation of a 12 to 16-week, therapist-facilitated, multi-media, cognitive-behavioral, online intervention tailored specifically for rape victims. The effectiveness of this program at ameliorating distress among college women who have experienced rape and have current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was evaluated. Reductions in psychological distress was the primary outcome and was assessed at post-intervention and at three and six month follow-up periods. The effectiveness of the intervention was compared to a psycho-educational website.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALOnline intervention

Therapist-facilitated, multimedia, cognitive-behavioral online intervention targeting rape-related PTSD

BEHAVIORALPsycho-educational website

Psycho-educational self-help website about rape-related PTSD

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE (Subject)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

FEMALE

Age

18 Years to 50 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Current rape-related PTSD * Regular access to a computer * English language literacy * Experience of completed rape at age 14 years or older

Exclusion criteria

* No current PTSD * Current psychotherapy * Lack of stability on psychotropic medication (\< 3 months) * Lack of literacy in English * Current substance dependence * Current elevated suicidality * Severe acute distress * No experience of completed rape after age 14

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Change in PTSD symptoms (PTSD Symptom Scale Interview)	Change in PTSD symptoms from baseline to 3 months post intervention

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026