Ultra-brief Psychological Treatments for Emotional Symptoms and Disorders
NCT ID: NCT06909669
Last Updated: 2025-12-22
Study Results
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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NOT_YET_RECRUITING
NA
184 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2026-02-28
2028-09-30
Brief Summary
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The investigators will compare the interventions of four groups: brief group treatment (1), ultra-brief group treatment (2), ultra-brief individual treatment (3) with the ultra-brief relaxation (control) group.
The main questions the study aims to answer are:
* Will the brief and ultra-brief treatment formats works better than the relaxation-based control group?
* Will results obtained between the brief group therapy group and the ultra-brief group therapy group be similar?
* Will the individual ultra brief therapy be more effective than the two group therapies because of common factors, such as the therapeutic alliance?
* Will group therapies be more beneficial for cost and in terms of capability to reduce emocional symptoms than individual therapy? Participants will be randomly assigned to each of the groups and will receive the corresponding treatment, with different number of sessions. They will answer a series of questionnaires at the beginning and at the end of the intervention, as well as 3 months and 6 months after the end of the treatment.
Detailed Description
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Conditions
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Keywords
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
TREATMENT
SINGLE
Study Groups
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Group 1: Group brief TD-CBT
Group brief transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy
Eight-session treatment based on Barlow's Unified Protocol. These sessions include: improving motivation and commitment to treatment, understanding the functioning of emotions, emotional awareness training, developing more flexible and adaptive thinking patterns, reduction of emotional avoidance and emotion-driven behaviors; awareness and tolerance of physical sensations; interoceptive and situational emotional exposure; achievement, maintenance and relapse prevention. In addition, the intervention incorporates modules on behavioral activation and problem-solving.
Group 2: Group ultra-brief TD-CBT
Group ultra-brief transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy
This intervention consists of a four-session version of the brief transdiagnostic treatment (Experimental group 1). The reduced format preserves the principal treatment modules, including psychoeducation, emotion regulation, behavioral activation, and problem-solving.The reduction is achieved by combining sessions 1 and 2, eliminating 3 and 6 and combining sessions 7 and 8. Treatment groups will consist of 8-10 people. Each session will have a duration of 1.5 hours and the intervention will be carried out on a weekly basis, with a maximum duration of four weeks.
Group 3: Individual ultra-brief TD-CBT
Individual ultra-brief transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral treatment format
Participants of this group, wil receive the same treatment than group 2 (ultra-brief transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioraltreatment in group format) but individual format. Each session will have a duration of 1 hour and the intervention will be carried out on a weekly basis, with a maximum duration of four weeks.
Group 4: relaxation
Group relaxation
The participants in this group will receive basic training in Jacobson's progressive relaxation with a similar periodicity to the ultra-brief intervention.
Interventions
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Group brief transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy
Eight-session treatment based on Barlow's Unified Protocol. These sessions include: improving motivation and commitment to treatment, understanding the functioning of emotions, emotional awareness training, developing more flexible and adaptive thinking patterns, reduction of emotional avoidance and emotion-driven behaviors; awareness and tolerance of physical sensations; interoceptive and situational emotional exposure; achievement, maintenance and relapse prevention. In addition, the intervention incorporates modules on behavioral activation and problem-solving.
Group relaxation
The participants in this group will receive basic training in Jacobson's progressive relaxation with a similar periodicity to the ultra-brief intervention.
Group ultra-brief transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy
This intervention consists of a four-session version of the brief transdiagnostic treatment (Experimental group 1). The reduced format preserves the principal treatment modules, including psychoeducation, emotion regulation, behavioral activation, and problem-solving.The reduction is achieved by combining sessions 1 and 2, eliminating 3 and 6 and combining sessions 7 and 8. Treatment groups will consist of 8-10 people. Each session will have a duration of 1.5 hours and the intervention will be carried out on a weekly basis, with a maximum duration of four weeks.
Individual ultra-brief transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral treatment format
Participants of this group, wil receive the same treatment than group 2 (ultra-brief transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioraltreatment in group format) but individual format. Each session will have a duration of 1 hour and the intervention will be carried out on a weekly basis, with a maximum duration of four weeks.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
* Recent suicide attempt.
* Severe emotional symptoms (PHQ-15 or GAD-7 ≥ 15; or PHQ-9 ≥ 20).
18 Years
65 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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State Research Agency, Spain
OTHER_GOV
University Hospital Reina Sofia, Cordoba
UNKNOWN
Universidad de Córdoba
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Juan A. Moriana
Professor
Principal Investigators
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Juan Antonio Moriana Elvira Professor
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Universidad de Córdoba
Locations
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Unidad de Salud Mental del Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía
Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
Unidad de Atención Psicológica (UNAP) de la Universidad de Córdoba
Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
Countries
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Central Contacts
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References
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Ruiz, F. J., Suárez-Falcón, J. C., Cárdenas-Sierra, S., Durán, Y., Guerrero, K., & Riaño-Hernández, D. (2016). Psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II in Colombia. The Psychological Record, 66, 429-437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-016-0183-2
Bond FW, Hayes SC, Baer RA, Carpenter KM, Guenole N, Orcutt HK, Waltz T, Zettle RD. Preliminary psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II: a revised measure of psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. Behav Ther. 2011 Dec;42(4):676-88. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2011.03.007. Epub 2011 May 25.
Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB. Validation and utility of a self-report version of PRIME-MD: the PHQ primary care study. Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders. Patient Health Questionnaire. JAMA. 1999 Nov 10;282(18):1737-44. doi: 10.1001/jama.282.18.1737.
Ros Montalban S, Comas Vives A, Garcia-Garcia M. Validation of the Spanish version of the PHQ-15 questionnaire for the evaluation of physical symptoms in patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders: DEPRE-SOMA study. Actas Esp Psiquiatr. 2010 Nov-Dec;38(6):345-57. Epub 2010 Nov 1.
Munoz-Navarro R, Cano-Vindel A, Moriana JA, Medrano LA, Ruiz-Rodriguez P, Aguero-Gento L, Rodriguez-Enriquez M, Piza MR, Ramirez-Manent JI. Screening for generalized anxiety disorder in Spanish primary care centers with the GAD-7. Psychiatry Res. 2017 Oct;256:312-317. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.06.023. Epub 2017 Jun 12.
Munoz-Navarro R, Cano-Vindel A, Medrano LA, Schmitz F, Ruiz-Rodriguez P, Abellan-Maeso C, Font-Payeras MA, Hermosilla-Pasamar AM. Utility of the PHQ-9 to identify major depressive disorder in adult patients in Spanish primary care centres. BMC Psychiatry. 2017 Aug 9;17(1):291. doi: 10.1186/s12888-017-1450-8.
Holgado-Tello, F., Amor, P.J., Lasa, A., & Domínguez, J. (2018). Two new brief versions of the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire and its relationships with depression and anxiety. Anales de Psicología, 34(3), 458-464. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.34.3.306531
Garcia-Campayo J, Zamorano E, Ruiz MA, Pardo A, Perez-Paramo M, Lopez-Gomez V, Freire O, Rejas J. Cultural adaptation into Spanish of the generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale as a screening tool. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2010 Jan 20;8:8. doi: 10.1186/1477-7525-8-8.
First, M.B., Williams, J.B.W., Kats, R.S., Spitzer, R.(2016). Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-S Disorders-Clinician version (SCID-S-CV). Arlington, VA, American Psychiatric Association,
Finsrud I, Nissen-Lie HA, Vrabel K, Hostmaelingen A, Wampold BE, Ulvenes PG. It's the therapist and the treatment: The structure of common therapeutic relationship factors. Psychother Res. 2022 Feb;32(2):139-150. doi: 10.1080/10503307.2021.1916640. Epub 2021 May 2.
Diez-Quevedo C, Rangil T, Sanchez-Planell L, Kroenke K, Spitzer RL. Validation and utility of the patient health questionnaire in diagnosing mental disorders in 1003 general hospital Spanish inpatients. Psychosom Med. 2001 Jul-Aug;63(4):679-86. doi: 10.1097/00006842-200107000-00021.
Ashworth, M., Shepherd, M., Christey, J., Matthews, V., Wright, K., Parmentier, H., Robinson, S., & Godfrey, E. (2004). A client-generated psychometric instrument: the development of 'PSYCHLOPS'. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 4, 27-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733140412331383913
Andrade-González, N., y Fernández-Liria, A. (2016). Spanish adaptation of the Working Alliance Inventory-Short (WAI-S). Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues, 35(1), 169-177. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-015-9365-3
Other Identifiers
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PID2023-152589OB-I00
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id