Treatment of Children With Peer Related Aggressive Behavior (ScouT)

NCT ID: NCT02143427

Last Updated: 2017-03-16

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 140 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2014-05-31
• Study Completion Date: 2017-09-30

Brief Summary

The efficacy of the computer based Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behaviour (Soziales computerunterstütztes Training für Kinder mit aggressivem Verhalten, ScouT) which is a child focused social competence training delivered in an individual format will be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial with children aged 6 to 12 years with peer-related aggressive behaviour.

Detailed Description

The German computer based Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behaviour (Soziales computerunterstütztes Training für Kinder mit aggressivem Verhalten, ScouT) aims at the therapy of children aged 6 to 12 years with peer-related aggressive behaviour, which results in a persistent impairment of the relationships to other children. Contrary to other treatment approaches, this intervention aims at the individual treatment of problem maintaining and moderating factors of aggressive behaviour. Depending on the individual problem maintaining factors the treatment aims to modify social cognitive information processing, social problem solving and behavioral social skills.

Methods: The efficacy will be tested in a randomized control group design with n=140 children. N=70 children will be treated in the first treatment phase (pre- to post1-assessment) of 16 weekly child-focused sessions with the treatment modules of ScouT. In the second treatment phase (post1- to post2- assessment) those children with sustained severe peer related aggressive behavior receive the comprehensive Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behaviour (Therapieprogramm für Kinder mit aggressivem Verhalten, THAV) which is a social competence training which combines patient- and parent-/teacher and peer-focused interventions with 16 child sessions and 6 parent-/teacher sessions. Those children with no severe peer related aggressive behavior receive 2 booster sessions of ScouT within a 16 week period.

The control group of n=70 children will receive in the first treatment phase (pre- to post1-assessment) an alternative child-focused intervention with a supportive Treatment Programm including techniques to activate resources of the child (Supportive Therapie zur Aktivierung von Ressourcen bei Kindern, STARK) with 16 weekly sessions. In the second treatment phase (post1- to post2- assessment) those children with sustained severe peer related aggressive behavior receive 16 weekly child-focused sessions with the treatment modules of ScouT . Those children with no severe peer related aggressive behavior receive 2 booster sessions of STARK within a 16 week period.

A follow-up assessment is conducted 12 months after post2-assessment. Outcome parameters are aggressive behaviour und comorbid symptoms as well as problem maintaining factors, psychosocial functioning, family burden, self-esteem and treatment satisfaction as rated by clinicians, parents, or teachers. Additionally problem solving is assessed by a newly developed problem-solving test. Moreover, variables of the treatment process are assessed. Additionally treatment process parameters are assessed.

Conditions

Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Social Skills Training

Social Skills Training child-focused and subsequent social competence training which combines patient- and parent-/teacher and peer-focused interventions

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Social Skills Training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Behavioral: computer-based Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behavior 16 sessions with the child aiming at the reduction of peer related aggressive behavior via social skills training. Additionally up to 2 sessions with relatives of the child in most cases with the parents and subsequent Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behavior 16 sessions with the child aiming at the reduction of peer related aggressive behavior via social skills training. Additionally up to 6 sessions with relatives of the child in most cases with the parents.

Arms: Social Skills Training

Treatment Program with techniques to activate resources

Treatment Program with techniques to activate resources of the child and subsequent Social Skills Training child-focused

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Treatment Program with techniques to activate resources

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Behavioral: Treatment Program with techniques to activate resources 16 sessions with the child aiming at the reduction of peer related aggressive behavior via activate resources. Additionally up to 2 sessions with relatives of the child in most cases with the parents and subsequent computer based Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behavior 16 sessions with the child aiming at the reduction of peer related aggressive behavior via social skills training.

Arms: Treatment Program with techniques to activate resources of the child and subsequent Social Skills Training

Interventions

Social Skills Training

Behavioral: computer-based Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behavior 16 sessions with the child aiming at the reduction of peer related aggressive behavior via social skills training. Additionally up to 2 sessions with relatives of the child in most cases with the parents and subsequent Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behavior 16 sessions with the child aiming at the reduction of peer related aggressive behavior via social skills training. Additionally up to 6 sessions with relatives of the child in most cases with the parents.

Arms: Social Skills Training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Treatment Program with techniques to activate resources

Behavioral: Treatment Program with techniques to activate resources 16 sessions with the child aiming at the reduction of peer related aggressive behavior via activate resources. Additionally up to 2 sessions with relatives of the child in most cases with the parents and subsequent computer based Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behavior 16 sessions with the child aiming at the reduction of peer related aggressive behavior via social skills training.

Arms: Treatment Program with techniques to activate resources of the child and subsequent Social Skills Training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Age: 6 - 12 years
• IQ>= 80
• Diagnoses (ICD-10): F91, F92, F90.1
• Elevated symptom score in the parent rated Symptom Checklist for Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorder (FBB-SSV) with Stanine ≥ 7 at pre-assessment
• Often conflicts with other children (clinical rating)
• Impaired social relationships / activities
• Parents agree in randomization (clinical rating) in medicated children no planned change of the medication

Exclusion Criteria

• Other disorder is dominating
• Other active psychotherapy
• Severe mental disorder of the parents

• Minimum Eligible Age: 6 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 12 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Cologne

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Manfred Doepfner

Anja Goertz-Dorten, PhD

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Anja Goertz-Dorten, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Univ. Cologne

Locations

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University Cologne

Cologne, , Germany

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Germany

Central Contacts

Anja Goertz-Dorten, PhD

Role: CONTACT

diplpsychgoertz@aol.com

References

Goertz-Dorten A, Dose C, Hofmann L, Katzmann J, Groth M, Detering K, Hellmann A, Stadler L, Braun B, Hellmich M, Doepfner M. Effects of Computer-Assisted Social Skills Training in Children With Disruptive Behavior Disorders: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2022 Nov;61(11):1329-1340. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2022.03.027. Epub 2022 Apr 6.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 35398192 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

ScouT-Study 1

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id