Clinical trial NCT04459260: Treating Perfectionism Using Internet-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Official title: Treating Perfectionism Using Internet-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Cognitive Behavior Therapy to Unified Protocol
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Perfectionism
Anxiety
Depression
Stress
Keywords: Perfectionism
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Unified Protocol
Internet-based
Randomized controlled trial
Lead sponsor: Karolinska Institutet
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Uppsala University
name: Linkoeping University
name: Stockholm University
name: University College, London
First posted: 2020-07-07
Enrollment: 138
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Perfectionism is characterized by setting high standards and striving for achievement, sometimes at the expense of social relationships and wellbeing. Despite sometimes being viewed as a positive feature by others, people with perfectionism tend to be overly concerned about their performance and how they are being perceived by people around them. This tends to create inflexible standards, cognitive biases, and performance-related behaviors that maintain a belief that self-worth is linked to accomplishments. Cognitive behavior therapy has been shown to be a viable treatment for perfectionism, both in terms of reducing levels of perfectionism and improving psychiatric symptoms. Furthermore, a number of recent studies indicate that it can be successfully delivered via the Internet, both with regular support and guidance on demand from a therapist. In the present study protocol, a clinical trial for perfectionism is described and outlined. In total, 128 participants will be recruited and randomized to either a treatment that has already been demonstrated to have many benefits, Internet-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for perfectionism (iCBT-P), or an active comparison condition, Internet-based Unified Protocol (iUP), targeting the emotions underlying depression and anxiety disorders. The results will be investigated with regard to self-reported outcomes of perfectionism, psychiatric symptoms, self-compassion, and quality of life, at post-treatment and at six- and 12-month follow-up. Both iCBT-P and iUP are expected to have positive effects, but the difference between conditions and adherence to respective treatment are currently unknown and will be explored. The clinical trial is believed to lead to a better understanding of how perfectionism can be treated, with the aim of providing efficacious treatments in an accessible format via the Internet.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* At least 18 years
* Adequate reading and writing levels in Swedish
* A computer, smartphone, or tablet with Internet access
* Elevated levels of perfectionism, as determined by a score of \>29 on the subscale Concerns over Mistakes on the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale

Exclusion Criteria:

* Diagnoses warranting immediate care, e.g., anorexia nervosa, substance abuse, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and schizophrenia
* Severe depression, as determined by a score of \>15 points on the Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 Items
* Suicidality, as determined by \>2 points on the item on suicidal ideation on the Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 Items

Primary outcomes:
measure: Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire (CPQ)
timeFrame: One month
measure: Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS)
timeFrame: One month
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 Items (PHQ-9)
timeFrame: Two weeks
measure: Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 Items (GAD-7)
timeFrame: Two weeks
measure: Brunnsviken Brief Quality of Life (BBQ)
timeFrame: One month
measure: Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form (SCS-SF)
timeFrame: One month
measure: Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS)
timeFrame: One month
measure: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
timeFrame: One month
measure: Negative Effects Questionnaire (NEQ)
timeFrame: One month
measure: Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire
timeFrame: Two weeks
measure: Domains
timeFrame: One month
measure: Goal attainment
timeFrame: One month
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Uppsala
country: Sweden
facility: Uppsala University
Study officials:
affiliation: Monica.Buhrman@psyk.uu.se
name: Monica Buhrman, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Rozental A, Shafran R, Johansson F, Forsstrom D, Jovicic F, Gelberg O, Molin K, Carlbring P, Andersson G, Buhrman M. Treating perfectionism via the Internet: a randomized controlled trial comparing cognitive behavior therapy to unified protocol. Cogn Behav Ther. 2024 May;53(3):324-350. doi: 10.1080/16506073.2024.2327339. Epub 2024 Mar 14.