PTSD Coach Sweden: Evaluating a Self-help Mobile App for Posttraumatic Stress in a Community Sample

Individuals who experience potentially traumatic events might develop long-lasting mental health problems. Limitations to health care resources, particularly in the context of mass disasters, indicate that self-help interventions could serve as important complementary offers to people in need. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether the Swedish version of the Swedish version of the PTSD Coach self-help smartphone application can reduce levels of posttraumatic stress and related difficulties. The study is a randomized controlled trial in which participants' levels of posttraumatic stress and related difficulties after three months use of PTSD Coach will be compared to a waitlist condition. Additionally, in order to better understand the interplay between app use and health status, participants in both groups will receive text messages in which they are asked to respond to a small number of very brief questions about specific behaviors and current health status for three weeks during the intervention period.