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Written Exposure Therapy-High Retention Rates in Group Therapy for Israel Defense Forces Combatants With
Ofir Ohayon1,2, Uzi Bechor1,3, Jacob Rotschield1,4
1Center for Mental Health Services and Mental Resilience, Israel Defense Forces-Medical Corps, Ramat Gan 5262000, Israel.
Military Medicine
|July 31, 2026
Summary
Written exposure therapy (WET) in groups showed higher retention for combatants with PTSD compared to other therapies. This suggests WET may improve treatment engagement for war veterans.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Trauma Studies
Background:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant concern for combat veterans.
- Effective group therapies are crucial for managing PTSD in military populations.
- The October 7th War presented unique challenges for reserve combatants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of group-based Written Exposure Therapy (WET) against other group therapies for PTSD in reserve combatants.
- To evaluate treatment retention rates across different therapeutic modalities.
- To identify factors influencing dropout rates in PTSD treatment for war veterans.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective observational cohort study of 133 Israeli army reservists who participated in the October 7th War.
- Analysis of treatment dropout rates as the primary outcome.
- Comparison of WET with psychoeducational group therapy, Stress Inoculation Training (SIT), and Cognitive Processing Treatment (CPT).
Main Results:
- Dropout rates were not significantly associated with age, PTSD symptom severity, or combat exposure.
- Group-based WET demonstrated significantly higher treatment retention compared to other group therapies.
- Participants in non-WET group therapies had a significantly increased hazard of dropout (HR=5.49).
Conclusions:
- Group-based WET is associated with superior treatment retention among combat veterans with PTSD.
- WET shows promise for enhancing therapeutic continuity and engagement in PTSD treatment.
- Further research is needed to determine if higher retention with WET translates to improved clinical outcomes.
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