Affect Management Group for Adult Survivors of Childhood Trauma

NCT ID: NCT00383006

Last Updated: 2009-06-03

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: WITHDRAWN
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1
• Total Enrollment: 16 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2006-05-31
• Study Completion Date: 2008-05-31

Brief Summary

Problems of self regulation, e.g. emotional dysfunction, represent a core symptom of adult patients with traumatic childhood experiences. The study intends to evaluate the efficiency of a 14-week group therapy for adult survivors of relational trauma in childhood. Main interventions are psychoeducation about the sequelae of childhood trauma, teaching of skills for affect regulation and techniques for activating resources. The hypothesis is that the group therapy significantly improves the participant's capacity in emotion management and self-soothing.

Detailed Description

Problems of self regulation, e.g. emotional dysfunction, represent a core symptom of adult patients with traumatic childhood experiences. Since sufficient capacity for self soothing and emotional regulation are essential for trauma exposure, modern trauma therapy concepts are phase-oriented, beginning with working on "stabilization". The study intends to evaluate the efficiency of a 14-week group therapy for adult survivors of relational trauma in childhood. Main interventions are psychoeducation about the sequelae of childhood trauma, teaching of skills for affect regulation and techniques for activating resources. Inclusion criteria are clinical significant problems with self-regulation and the presence of childhood trauma. Outcome measures are based on self-rating questionnaires, clinical interviews and an experimental computer-task at timepoint pre-, post- and 3-month-follow-up. There is no control condition in the pilot-study phase.

Conditions

Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Interventions

Skills for affect regulation (behavior)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Adults with moderate to severe relational trauma in childhood (emotional, sexual or physical abuse, emotional or physical neglect)
• DSM-IV diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder

Exclusion Criteria

• Severe dissociation
• Environmental safety problems
• Ongoing enmeshment with perpetrators
• Psychotic disorders
• Severe depression
• Acute suicidality
• Substance abuse
• Severe cognitive decline

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 70 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Zurich

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Principal Investigators

Christoph Mueller, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland

Michael Rufer, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland

Locations

Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital

Zurich, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland

Countries

Switzerland

Other Identifiers

PSYUNIZH26092006

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id