Emotion, Aging, and Forgiveness: Protocol for a Feasibility of Randomized Controlled Trial

NCT ID: NCT06679452

Last Updated: 2024-11-13

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 70 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-04-01
• Study Completion Date: 2025-12-31

Brief Summary

Over recent decades, Emotion-Focused Therapy, aging, and forgiveness have garnered significant attention in the field of psychology. However, there is a lack of studies on Emotion-Focused Therapy and forgiveness specifically tailored for older adults. This article describes a protocol to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Emotion-Focused Therapy for the resolution of emotional injury in individuals over the age of 65 in the context of interpersonal offenses. The study is structured as a two-arm, parallel-group randomized trial with a waiting list control. We propose recruiting a sample of 70 participants, randomly assigned to either an immediate intervention group, which will receive Emotion-Focused Therapy over twelve weekly sessions, or a control group that will receive the same therapy after a twelve-week waiting period. Data will be collected in the beginning, middle, and at the end of therapy, and in two planned follow-ups (three and six months after therapy). Once this protocol is implemented, if the therapy proves to be feasible, acceptable, and shows promising results, the findings will inform a large-scale randomized clinical trial to advance the understanding of psychotherapy.

Conditions

Emotion-Focused Therapy; Aging; Forgiveness

Study Design

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

Study Groups

35 participants randomly assigned to the EFT intervention

The research will include 35 individuals aged 65 years or older, of both genders, who meet the study's inclusion criteria. Therapy sessions will be conducted individually and in person, in offices suited for psychological practice. Participants residing in senior housing will have the option, subject to agreement with their institution, to have sessions conducted in their facilities. Each session will last one hour and occur weekly over a three-month period, resulting in a total of 12 sessions per participant, in accordance with the EFT protocol for resolving emotional injuries established by Meneses and Greenberg (2019) and adjusted for this population/purposes by Almeida and Cunha (2024);

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Emotion-Focused Therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

This feasibility protocol is a two-arm, parallel, double-blinded, RCT aimed at informing a future trial assessing the effectiveness of EFT in resolving emotional injuries in older adults in the context of interpersonal offenses.

35 participants include in a control group (CG).

35 participants included in a control group (CG), in the form of a waitlist.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Emotion-Focused Therapy

This feasibility protocol is a two-arm, parallel, double-blinded, RCT aimed at informing a future trial assessing the effectiveness of EFT in resolving emotional injuries in older adults in the context of interpersonal offenses.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Our eligibility criteria include being 65 years or older, having experienced an interpersonal offense, residing at home or in a senior residence, stable prescribed medication use, scoring ≥ 26 on the MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), and fluency in Portuguese or English.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Maia

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Bernardo Almeida

Dr

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Carla Cunha Alexandra Dr, PhD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

University of Maia

Locations

Av. Carlos Oliveira Campos - Castelo da Maia 4475-690 Avioso S. Pedro

Maia, Castelo Da Maia, Portugal

Countries

Portugal

Central Contacts

Bernardo Almeida Bernardo Dr, PhD

Role: CONTACT

A037791@umaia.pt

00351911795393

Carla Cunha Alexandra Dr, PhD

Role: CONTACT

ccunha@umaia.pt

References

Buzgova R, Kozakova R, Bobcikova K, Zelenikova R. Predictors of life satisfaction in elders living at home in the Czech Republic. PLoS One. 2023 Mar 30;18(3):e0283772. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283772. eCollection 2023.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 36996129 (View on PubMed)

Lopez J, Serrano MI, Gimenez I, Noriega C. Forgiveness Interventions for Older Adults: A Review. J Clin Med. 2021 Apr 26;10(9):1866. doi: 10.3390/jcm10091866.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 33925790 (View on PubMed)

Band-Winterstein T, Eisikovits Z, Brownell P, King A. Introduction: exploring older women's perspectives on lifetime abuse. J Elder Abuse Negl. 2024; 36(2):91-92. 10.1080/08946566.2024.2332141.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Toussaint LL, Worthington EL, Williams DR, eds. Forgiveness and Health: Scientific Evidence and Theories Relating Forgiveness to Better Health. Springer; 2015. doi: 10.1007/978-94-017-9993-5.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Greenberg LJ, Warwar SH, Malcolm WM. Differential effects of Emotion-Focused Therapy and psychoeducation in facilitating forgiveness and letting go of emotional injuries. J Couns Psychol. 2008; 55(2):185-96. doi: 10.1037/0022-0167.55.2.185.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Almeida, B., Cunha, C. Time, resentment, and forgiveness: Impact on the well-being of older adults. Trends in Psychology. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-023-00343-2

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Enright RD, Fitzgibbons RP. Forgiveness therapy: An empirical guide for resolving anger and restoring hope. American Psychological Association; 2015. doi: 10.1037/14526-000.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Meneses CW, Greenberg LS. Forgiveness and letting go in Emotion-Focused Therapy. American Psychological Association; 2019. doi: 10.1037/0000144-000.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Worthington EL, Wade NG, eds. Handbook of forgiveness. 2nd ed. Routledge; 2020.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Related Links

https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-023-00343-2

The present study explores how resentment and forgiveness can affect older people and how resentment can be alleviated or intensified over time. The investigation is based on a qualitative methodology, using life history interviews, carried out in two mo

Other Identifiers

University Maia

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id