REal world internet COgnitiVE theRapy for PTSD (RECOVER-PTSD)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Clinical trial of digitally enabled cognitive therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression services
IRAS ID
354700
Contact name
Anke Ehlers
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 10 months, 30 days
Research summary
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common and disabling mental health problem. Cognitive Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (CT-PTSD) is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as the first-line treatment for PTSD in the NHS and is highly effective. Full CT-PTSD consists of 12-14 weekly 90-min sessions. NHS Talking Therapies (NHS TT) services cannot always offer the full treatment to patients due to resource constraints and therapist workloads. Many patients can also find it difficult to attend weekly sessions within clinic hours due to their own work and life commitments. Therefore, it is desirable to improve the accessibility of CT-PTSD, by reducing the therapist time required without compromising on treatment outcomes.
Internet-delivered treatment could provide a solution to these challenges. An internet-based cognitive therapy for PTSD (iCT-PTSD) has been developed, which allows therapists to guide patients through an online programme that patients can access in their own time at a place convenient to them. Preliminary research suggests that recovery rates for iCT-PTSD are comparable to CT-PTSD, whilst iCT-PTSD requires substantially less therapist time (Ehlers et al., 2023). Based on preliminary findings, NICE has recommended the use of iCT-PTSD for use in the NHS, but there is a need for further research to unambiguously assess its value. This randomised controlled trial directly compares iCT-PTSD to usual NHS treatment for PTSD in a real-world setting. 220 people seeking treatment for PTSD in 6 NHS TT services within 4 NHS Trusts across England will be randomised to receive iCT-PTSD or treatment-as-usual (TAU), delivered by trained therapists. The trial will investigate whether iCT-PTSD leads to greater improvement in PTSD symptoms and recovery rates than TAU and will examine its cost-effectiveness compared to TAU. It will also examine how satisfied patients and therapists are with the internet-delivered treatment.
REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/LO/0575
Date of REC Opinion
12 Aug 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion