Reducing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms in Frontline Health Care Workers

This study is being completed to address PTSD symptoms in Health System workers after the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the study team is testing whether an adapted PTSD treatment (talk therapy) effectively treats PTSD when provided in Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).The central hypothesis is that Prolonged Exposure for Primary Care (PE-PC) will reduce PTSD symptoms and improve functioning, compared to EAP Treatment as Usual (TAU).

Inclusion Criteria:Are employees at a healthcare system served by a participating EAPHave a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (PCL-5) score ≥33Have had psychotropic medication stability for at least 4 weeksInclusion criteria for the qualitative portion of the study:- Enrolled into the randomized clinical trial and were a treatment responder or were a treatment non-responderExclusion Criteria:Severe cognitive impairment that in the judgment of the investigators makes it unlikely that the participant can adhere to the study regimen (as evidenced by confusion, inability to track discussion or answer questions, or other clear and significant indicators of cognitive impairment)High risk of suicide (defined as meeting criteria for Action Step 3 on the Participant Suicide Risk Screening form: found in protocol)Need for detoxificationActive psychosis or unmanaged bipolar disorder, as measured by items 12 and 13 of the cross cutting assessmentCurrently engagement in a trauma-focused behavioral treatment (such as Prolonged Exposure or Cognitive Processing Therapy).Patients who do not speak English will be excluded for logistical reasons.