Effects of a Group EMDR Intervention on Narrative Complexity and Specificity of Autobiographical Memories: the Hug the Child Study (HTC)

NCT ID: NCT05319002

Last Updated: 2022-04-08

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

27 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-08-20

Study Completion Date

2021-11-30

Brief Summary

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Background and study aims:

The Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Group Protocol with Children (EMDR-GP/C) was first developed by Korkmazlar following the Marmara earthquake in Turkey in 1999 and can be adapted for different populations. The aim of this study is to assess if a EMDR-GP program may help primary school students in improving narrative complexity and specificity of autobiographical memories, as well as their subjective unit of distress (SUD) and validity of cognition (VoC).

Who can participate? Students attending the fourth or fifth year of primary school

What does the study involve? Participants will be randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. Participants in the experimental group will undergo a 3-week EMDR-GP with weekly 60-minute group sessions (3 sessions), while the control group will follow routine daily school activities.

Questionnaires will be used to assess narrative complexity, specificity of autobiographical memories, SUD and VoC before and after the intervention.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? Benefits of participating in the study may include an improvement of narrative complexity, specificity of autobiographical memories, and their SUD and VoC.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Child, Only Narration Memory Dysfunction Distress, Emotional Cognitive Change

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Group EMDR

Participants in the experimental group will undergo a 3-week group EMDR intervention with weekly 60-minute group sessions.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Group EMDR

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The eight phases of the adapted group EMDR protocol was administered during each session: 1. Meeting: Explaining the nature of trauma, group rules, name tags, filling in the scales. 2. Preparation: Exploring children's support system, explaining EMDR, safe place, resource exercise, and installation with bilateral stimulation (BLS, butterfly hug or knee tapping). 3. Assessment: Drawing the worst image on a small separate sheet of paper, SUD level, (negative cognition, emotions, body sensations - if possible). 4. Desensitization: It is done with drawing on 4 separate papers with BLS (butterfly hug or knee tapping). 5. Installation: With the healing story written according to the adaptive information processing (AIP) model, the installation is accompanied BLS. 6. Body scan: A positive body state is installed with the relaxation technique. 7. Closure \& future template: Strong closure with artwork. 8. Re-evaluation: if possible.

Control

The control group will follow routine daily school activities

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Group EMDR

The eight phases of the adapted group EMDR protocol was administered during each session: 1. Meeting: Explaining the nature of trauma, group rules, name tags, filling in the scales. 2. Preparation: Exploring children's support system, explaining EMDR, safe place, resource exercise, and installation with bilateral stimulation (BLS, butterfly hug or knee tapping). 3. Assessment: Drawing the worst image on a small separate sheet of paper, SUD level, (negative cognition, emotions, body sensations - if possible). 4. Desensitization: It is done with drawing on 4 separate papers with BLS (butterfly hug or knee tapping). 5. Installation: With the healing story written according to the adaptive information processing (AIP) model, the installation is accompanied BLS. 6. Body scan: A positive body state is installed with the relaxation technique. 7. Closure \& future template: Strong closure with artwork. 8. Re-evaluation: if possible.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Children aged 9 to 11 years
2. Children have reasonable comprehension of spoken language and can follow simple instructions
3. Children and their parents are willing to attend all intervention sessions
4. Children and parents have an adequate understanding of Italian

Exclusion Criteria

1. Concurrent enrollment in other intervention trials
2. Child regularly practices EMDR intervention, or other therapeutical interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or meditation.
Minimum Eligible Age

9 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

11 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Pisa

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Andrea Poli

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Andrea Poli, Psy.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pisa

Locations

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University of Pisa

Pisa, , Italy

Site Status

Countries

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Italy

References

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Poli A, Gemignani A, Miccoli M. Randomized Trial on the Effects of a Group EMDR Intervention on Narrative Complexity and Specificity of Autobiographical Memories: A Path Analytic and Supervised Machine-Learning Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jun 23;19(13):7684. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19137684.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 35805348 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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HTC-01

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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