Emotional Regulation & Addiction : Impact of In-person/Online Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT) vs Usual Treatment

NCT ID: NCT07310511

Last Updated: 2025-12-30

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

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

120 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-01-31

Study Completion Date

2030-04-30

Brief Summary

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In psychiatry, psychotherapy is, along with pharmacotherapy, a major therapeutic intervention. It helps patients better understand their difficulties and informs them of possible solutions. It is systematically recommended in cases of psychiatric disorders, whether or not in combination with pharmacotherapy.

With regard to addictive disorders in particular, few medications are available and psychotherapy is essential. Psychotherapy must be adapted to the severity of the patient's condition and the issues encountered. In cases of impaired emotional regulation, i.e., the ability to respond effectively to one's emotions, addictions become more difficult to stabilize without appropriate treatment. For patients with emotional regulation disorders, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is the standard treatment. It consists of teaching acceptance and change skills in a dialectical manner to better regulate emotions.

Like other evidence-based psychotherapies, DBT is nevertheless not widely available. It requires therapists to have a high level of training and sufficient patient recruitment to form groups. Two solutions are being considered to improve the accessibility of DBT. To facilitate patient recruitment, transdiagnostic groups are useful because they bring together patients with different diagnoses. To help professionals deliver the therapy, digital tools such as pre-recorded videos or mobile applications have proven effective, particularly when guided by a therapist, but they also show some effectiveness without a therapist. Studies are still recent and few in number, and need to be replicated, particularly using a variety of digital tools.

The investigators want to evaluate the effectiveness of DBT on emotional regulation and impulsivity in addiction patients, in a transdiagnostic face-to-face format and in an online format using videos, compared to a control group (usual treatment). This research would provide a better understanding of the effectiveness of DBT in addiction treatment, as well as the effectiveness of solutions that improve its accessibility, such as the transdiagnostic format and the use of associated digital tools.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Addiction Disorders Emotional Dysregulation

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Patients with emotional dysregulation treated by face-to-face DBT

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Face-to-face DBT

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

One therapy session per week for two 3-month periods, to learn and practice emotional regulation skills.

Patients with emotional dysregulation treated by online DBT

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Online DBT

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Two 3-months periods, consisting of watching a video on an emotional regulation skill and completing a worksheet related to that skill. In addition, participants will be encouraged to regularly use mobile apps on emotional regulation.

Patients with emotional dysregulation treated by usual treatment

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Usual treatment

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Consultations in the addiction treatment department at a frequency deemed clinically necessary by the professional providing follow-up care. Occupational group therapy (discussion groups, writing, etc.) is usually offered to patients, who may participate as they wish.

Interventions

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Face-to-face DBT

One therapy session per week for two 3-month periods, to learn and practice emotional regulation skills.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Online DBT

Two 3-months periods, consisting of watching a video on an emotional regulation skill and completing a worksheet related to that skill. In addition, participants will be encouraged to regularly use mobile apps on emotional regulation.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Usual treatment

Consultations in the addiction treatment department at a frequency deemed clinically necessary by the professional providing follow-up care. Occupational group therapy (discussion groups, writing, etc.) is usually offered to patients, who may participate as they wish.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Patients aged \>18 years
* Patients affiliated with a social security health insurance plan
* Patients who are fluent in French, able to understand the objectives and risks associated with the research, and able to give dated and signed informed consent
* Patients with addictive disorders (substance and/or behavioral) presenting emotional dysregulation (DERS score \>90) in the 3 months prior to the inclusion visit
* Patients whose treatment(s) for mood disorder regulation has been stable for 3 months
* No ongoing structured psychotherapy

Exclusion Criteria

* Patients diagnosed with acute psychosis
* Patients with major neurocognitive disorders
* Patients with encephalopathy
* Patients in a period of exclusion (determined by a previous or ongoing study)
* Patients in an emergency/life-threatening situation
* Patients under legal protection
* Pregnancy (self-reported)/breastfeeding
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Amaury Durpoix

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg

Locations

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Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg

Strasbourg, , France

Site Status

Countries

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France

Central Contacts

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Amaury Durpoix

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +33 88 11 64 25

Email: [email protected]

Other Identifiers

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RC25-0041

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id