Imagery rescripting (IR) is a therapeutic intervention that is effective in reducing clinical symptoms. IR aims to modify the encapsulated beliefs and emotional impact associated with an aversive past experience. Recently, attempts at developing a self-administered IR were made for eating disorders and OCD. During my PhD, we (Sorka et al., in preparation) developed an online, self-guided IR for transdiagnostic anxiety disorders, with a one-year follow-up. Results demonstrated significant decreases in pathological anxiety and improvement in daily functioning, which were maintained one year after. The current study aims to expand online self-help IR intervention for individuals suffering from PTSD. The application of the existing online IR intervention for PTSD requires important modifications to address the unique symptomatology and underlying mechanisms of PTSD. The study will include 240 clinical analogs high in PTSD symptoms, randomly divided into three conditions: IR, written exposure therapy, and neutral writing control. PTSD symptom severity will be assessed at pre, post-intervention, 1-week, and 3-month follow-ups. Data will be analyzed using linear mixed effects model. This research enables comparison of the two interventions of IR and imaginal exposure and their underlying mechanisms, in a novel self-administered framework. By developing an online, self-guided IR intervention, this study will further reduce barriers related to cost, geographic limitations, and stigma, making effective care available to those who might otherwise remain untreated.

Supervisor: Prof. Jonathan Huppert