Identity Oriented Psychotrauma Therapy on Hashimoto in Adults
Condition: Autoimmune Thyroiditis
MeSH terms: Thyroiditis; Hashimoto Disease; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether Identity Oriented Psychotrauma Therapy
      (IOPT) is effective in decreasing the level of autoantibodies of patients with Hashimoto
      thyroiditis. The investigators hypothesize that working Constellations of Intention will have
      a positive impact on the biological level, by decreasing the level of autoantibodies,
      antithyroglobulin antibody (anti-Tg) and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPO), which
      are the main antibodies detected in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis. Secondly, it will have an
      impact on the psyche by decreasing the level of dissociation, alexithymia, anger, and by
      increasing the quality of life and than those in the control group.
    

Detailed description: 
      Hashimoto thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease that leads to chronic inflammation of the
      thyroid gland. This is considered the most common autoimmune disorder, and the most common
      endocrine disorder. Psychological trauma has been suggested as a possible factor in the
      pathogenesis and development of autoimmune diseases. Although a diversity of
      psychotherapeutic interventions have been studied in adults with autoimmune diseases, there
      is a lack of psychological research and randomized controlled trials in the field of the
      Hashimoto disease. This study is designed to be a clinical trial with two arms: one
      experimental and one control group. The experimental group receives IOPT and the control
      group is a waiting list. 70 out-patients with Hashimoto disease will be randomly assigned to
      the two groups. The investigators hypothesize that the therapeutic gains will be more
      significant in the experimental condition than in the control groups at the completion of the
      therapy and that this will be maintained at the 3-month follow-up.The IOPT group undergoes 10
      group modules of IOPT once at two weeks.The sessions will be conducted by clinicians or
      psychotherapists specialized in IOPT. If therapy is efficient on the autoimmune disorder,
      participants in the control group will be reallocated to IOPT after the experimental
      treatment will come to an end.
    

Intervention name(s): Identity Oriented Psychotrauma Therapy; Treatment as Usual
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Drug
Intervention description(s): The method will be presented to the group at the beginning of the first group session. Then every person from the experimental group will set an Intention connected to the emotional or physical difficulties they experience in their lives. Then the person will choose for every word in their Intention, a representative from the support group who will resonate with that word. The focus of every Intention should be the current illness and the traumatic or stressful events which happened before the disease onset.; The participants randomised in this group will continue taking the classical treatment prescribed for Hashimoto (Levothyroxine)
Other intervention name(s): Intention Method
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care
Keywords: Hashimoto; Autoimmune thyroiditis; Identity Oriented Psychotrauma Therapy; Intention Method