Reducing Self-Stigma Among Individuals With History of Childhood Maltreatment

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Individuals who report experiencing any kind of abuse during childhood report shame and self-blame, often leading to self-stigma and a reluctance to reveal their experiences and seek help. Such stigma may aggravate the mental health consequences of child maltreatment (CM). The aim of the proposed study is twofold: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief video-based intervention in reducing self-stigma among individuals who experienced childhood abuse and/or maltreatment, and (2) to increase openness to seeking treatment.

Detailed Description
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Prior research suggests that social contact-based interventions are the most efficient way of reducing stigma. This study aims to address self-stigma and empower individuals who self-reported experiencing any kind of abuse during childhood and increase their openness to seeking help, if needed. A total of 1000 adults with self-report experience of any kind of childhood abuse will be recruited to participate in a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) testing the efficacy of the intervention. Participants will be randomized into one of two arms: 1) A 2-minute video intervention in which a CM survivor (presented by either a female or male actor) shares their personal CM experience and describes how they were able to overcome feelings of shame and self-blame to seek mental health care; or 2) A 2-minute control video using the same actors, but without CM-related content. Both videos will be preceded by and immediately followed by questionnaires assessing self-stigma and openness to seeking treatment. An additional assessment of emotional engagement will be added immediately following intervention delivery. Following the intervention, there will be a 30-day follow-up to examine potential long-term effects.

Official Title
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Reducing Self-Stigma Among Individuals With History of Childhood Maltreatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Conditions
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Stigma, Social, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Help-Seeking Behavior

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Video


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Age 18-80 US resident Individuals who endorse yes to one of the following items: physical aggression in family or household, emotional or verbal abuse in family or household, sexual abuse or inappropriate sexual experiences, negligence - physical or emotional, mental illness or substance abuse at home, incarceration of family member Fluent in English and able to give informed consent Exclusion Criteria: N/A

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 80 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Video with Childhood Maltreatment-Related Content<br>Participants will view a video of an actor describing the story of an individual who experienced childhood maltreatment and how they overcame its effects on their life. | Behavioral: Video<br>* A short video aimed at reducing self-stigma among individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment and increasing their help seeking intentions (if needed).<br>|
| No Intervention: Video without Childhood Maltreatment Content<br>Participants will view a lifestyle video of an actor describing their day-to-day experiences, without any childhood maltreatment-related themes. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Self-Stigma Questionnaire - Post-Intervention | Change in stigma items from baseline - higher score indicates higher stigma (range of 15 to 60) | Immediately post-intervention | 
| Self-Stigma Questionnaire - Follow-Up | Change in stigma items from baseline - higher score indicates higher stigma (range of 15 to 60) | 30 days post-intervention | 
| Help Seeking Intentions (3 items of the ATSPPH) - Post-Intervention | Change in treatment-seeking intentions from baseline - higher score indicates higher help-seeking intentions (range of 3 to 12) | Immediately post-intervention | 
| Help Seeking Intentions (3 items of the ATSPPH) - Follow-Up | Change in treatment-seeking intentions from baseline - higher score indicates higher help-seeking intentions (range of 3 to 12) | 30 days post-intervention |