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Art Therapy and Emotional Well Being in Military Populations With Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms

Who can join

Ages 18 to 64 · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

* DEERS Eligible
* Active Duty or Veteran separated within the past 10 years
* Significant posttraumatic stress symptoms (score of \>/=31 on the PCL-5)

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of moderate, severe, or penetrating brain injury
* History of psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, or active suicidal or homicidal ideation
* History of multiple sclerosis, Huntington's disease, or Alzheimer's disease
* History of stroke or myocardial infarction
* History of brain tumor
* History of seizures
* Contradictions for MRI (for example, participants will be excluded for pregnancy, metal implants or suspected shrapnel, aneurysm/intracranial clips, cardiac pacemakers or implanted programmable devices or pumps)
* Unable to provide informed consent
* History of previous exposure to art therapy
* Active substance use disorder

About the study

Art therapy is used across the Military Health System for treatment of posttraumatic symptoms, but there is limited research on how art therapy is able to restore emotional expression and regulation in service members. This research hopes to learn about the effects of art therapy on emotional expression and regulation in service members as well as the neurological systems at work. If a participant chooses to be in this study, he or she will attend eleven sessions over a period of six to eight months. The first session will be an interview and self-assessment questionnaires to collect information on a variety of symptoms, experiences, and personality traits, and an MRI scan. During the MRI scan, participants will be asked to perform a task where they will be shown a series of neutral and negative images. The following eight sessions will be one-hour art therapy sessions with a certified art therapist. The tenth session will consist of the same self-assessment questionnaires and another MRI scan. The final session will consist of some of the same questionnaires from the tenth visit, as well as a qualitative interview done virtually three months after the tenth visit.

What is being tested

• Art Therapy (behavioral)

Sponsor: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center · Participants: 40 · Started: Feb 1, 2022

Contact the study team

• Chandler Rhodes, Ph.D. · Phone: 301-400-3638

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT05414708

Locations in the U.S.

Conditions

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Headache
• Parasomnias

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 29, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.