Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36911997›Full record

Trial reportPsychological medicine2023

Massed

Lisa Dell, Alyssa M Sbisa, Andrew Forbes, Meaghan O'Donnell, Richard Bryant, Stephanie Hodson, David Morton, Malcolm Battersby, Peter W Tuerk, Peter Elliott and 2 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readEquivalence TrialRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Psychological medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.4field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. The METEMP protocol: Massed exposure therapy enhanced with MDMA for PTSD.Contemporary clinical trials communications · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 7 institutions in 2 countries.

Lisa DellPhoenix Australia - Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6870-5432
Alyssa M SbisaPhoenix Australia - Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Andrew ForbesSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Meaghan O'DonnellPhoenix Australia - Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Richard BryantSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Stephanie HodsonDepartment of Veteran's Affairs, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
David MortonDefence, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Malcolm BattersbyCollege of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, South Australia, Australia.
Peter W TuerkDepartment of Human Services, Sheila C. Jonson Center for Clinical Services, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
Peter ElliottPhoenix Australia - Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Duncan WallaceAustralian Defence Force Centre for Mental Health, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
David ForbesPhoenix Australia - Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The University of Melbourne · AUACT GovernmentAustralian Defence Force Academy · AUCenter for Prevention Services · USFlinders University · AUMonash University · AUUNSW Sydney · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe utilisation of massed therapy for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is gaining strength, especially prolonged exposure. However, it is unknown whether massed prolonged exposure (MPE) is non-inferior to standard prolonged exposure (SPE) protocols in the long term. The current study aimed to assess whether MPE was non-inferior to SPE at 12 months post-treatment, and to ascertain changes in secondary measure outcomes.

methodsA multi-site non-inferiority randomised controlled trial (RCT) compared SPE with MPE in 12 clinics. The primary outcome was PTSD symptom severity (CAPS-5) at 12 months post-treatment commencement. Secondary outcome measures included symptoms of depression, anxiety, anger, disability, and quality of life at 12 weeks and 12 months post-treatment commencement. Outcome assessors were blinded to treatment allocation. The intention-to-treat sample included 138 Australian military members and veterans and data were analysed for 134 participants (SPE = 71, MPE = 63).

resultsReductions in PTSD severity were maintained at 12 months and MPE remained non-inferior to SPE. Both treatment groups experienced a reduction in depression, anxiety, anger, and improvements in quality of life at 12 weeks and 12 months post-treatment commencement. Treatment effects for self-reported disability in the SPE group at 12 weeks were not maintained, with neither group registering significant effects at 12 months.

conclusionsThe emergence of massed protocols for PTSD is an important advancement. The current study provides RCT evidence for the longevity of MPE treatment gains at 12 months post-treatment commencement and demonstrated non-inferiority to SPE. Promisingly, both treatments also significantly reduced the severity of comorbid symptoms commonly occurring alongside PTSD.

Indexed as

Implosive TherapyMilitary PersonnelStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticVeteransAustraliaFollow-Up StudiesHumansTreatment OutcomeMassed therapymilitarynon-inferiorityprolonged exposure therapyPTSDRCTtraumaveteran

Identifiers

PMID36911997
PMCPMC10719628
OpenAlexW4324018717

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.