Piloting a School-Based Distress Tolerance Skills Program for Adolescents

NCT ID: NCT06638853

Last Updated: 2025-03-24

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 74 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-10-25
• Study Completion Date: 2025-06-30

Brief Summary

Research suggests that an individual's perceived ability to withstand distressing or upsetting emotions (i.e., distress tolerance; DT) is a common risk factor across several mental health conditions that commonly emerge during adolescence. This study aims to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and initial efficacy of a classroom-based DT skills training program for middle school students. This study will also explore associations between changes in DT and internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression).

Detailed Description

A variety of deleterious mental health conditions have their peak age of onset in adolescence, including depression and anxiety. Distress tolerance (DT) - defined as the perceived or actual ability to withstand aversive emotional states - has been postulated as a transdiagnostic risk factor across several "emotional" disorders that typically emerge during adolescence. Importantly, while there is compelling evidence that DT is associated with emotion dysregulation and symptom severity, it is unclear whether modifying DT can reduce future risk for psychopathology in adolescent populations. This proposal aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a classroom-based DT intervention for middle school students. Additionally, this proposal will examine associations between changes in DT and internalizing symptoms.

Primary Objective:

To evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy of a classroom-based DT skills training program for middle school students.

Secondary Objectives:

To examine whether participation in the DT skills training program is associated with lower severity of internalizing symptoms over the course of the academic year.

Conditions

Distress, Emotional; Internalizing Mental Health Symptoms

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Distress Tolerance Skills Training

Students will participate in a series of classroom-based lessons aimed at increasing distress tolerance.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Distress Tolerance Skills Training

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

These lessons are adapted from "DBT Skills in Schools: Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents (DBT STEPS-A)" by Mazza et al. and include elements of mindfulness training, psychoeducation about emotions, and techniques/skills for managing extreme emotions.

Standard Curriculum (Control)

Students will not participate in the distress tolerance skills training. They will receive only their standard curriculum during class time.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Distress Tolerance Skills Training

These lessons are adapted from "DBT Skills in Schools: Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents (DBT STEPS-A)" by Mazza et al. and include elements of mindfulness training, psychoeducation about emotions, and techniques/skills for managing extreme emotions.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Middle school aged-youth attending Valley Catholic Middle School in grade 6, 7, or 8

Exclusion Criteria

• None

• Minimum Eligible Age: 11 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 14 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Valley Catholic Middle School

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Oregon Health and Science University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Bonnie Nagel

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Bonnie Nagel, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Oregon Health and Science University

Locations

Valley Catholic Middle School

Beaverton, Oregon, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

STUDY00027611

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id