Positive Emotion Regulation Training in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults With and Without Developmental Disorder
Condition: Neurodevelopmental Disorders
MeSH terms: Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Developmental Disabilities
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a novel positive emotion regulation
      intervention that aims to increase positive emotions and improve emotion regulation skills in
      children, adolescents and young adults. The study focuses on individuals with a developmental
      disorder such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and other Learning or Developmental Disabilities in
      comparison to typically developing (TD) controls. Participants will complete a
      psycho-educative training to learn about positive emotions and how to increase them in their
      daily lives. Participants are expected to benefit from the training, which will be evident in
      a change in emotion experience, emotion regulation strategy use, and well-being. Emotion
      regulation efficacy will be related to symptom severity (autistic symptoms), alexithymia and
      problematic behaviors.
    

Detailed description: 
      This study aims at testing the efficacy of a 3-session psycho-educative training on emotion
      regulation and wellbeing in children and adolescents with or without developmental disorders
      with a waitlist control group design. Specifically, we are interested to improve different
      aspects of emotions, such as emotion experience, regulation strategy use, and beliefs on the
      malleability of emotions. Given that most of the past and actual interventions focus on
      negative emotions, our training will allow participants to learn more about positive
      emotions, how they can increase them, and how they can benefit from them.

      Individuals with a developmental disorder including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will be
      recruited via flyers in specialized institutions and schools. Individuals with typical
      development (TD) will be recruited via flyers in schools, universities, libraries, and in
      other public places. Participants will be randomly assigned to the training or waiting list
      group (control). Randomization will be stratified for the two populations (i.e. with and
      without a developmental disorder) and for age. Participants and one of their parents (if <18
      years) will be asked to fill in questionnaires on emotion experience, emotion regulation,
      beliefs about the malleability of emotions, well-being, problematic behaviors, alexithymia,
      and ASD symptom severity at four time points. Some questionnaires will only be completed by
      parents. Participants will be asked to answer additional questions on their emotional
      experience and emotion regulation and to provide examples of their own emotional experience
      and emotion regulation during and after each of the training sessions.

      Participants are expected to benefit from the intervention, which should become evident in
      the changes of the primary outcome measures (emotion experience, emotion regulation, beliefs
      about the malleability of emotions, well-being) and the secondary outcome measures
      (problematic behaviors, alexithymia, and ASD symptom severity) post-intervention and at
      8-weeks follow up.
    

Intervention name(s): Positive Emotion Regulation Training
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participants will receive a 3-session psycho-educative training on emotion regulation.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment