Clinical trial NCT00383006: Affect Management Group for Adult Survivors of Childhood Trauma
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: WITHDRAWN
Phase: PHASE1
Conditions: Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Keywords: Psychotherapy, Group
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Ambulatory Care
Lead sponsor: University of Zurich
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2006-10-02
Enrollment: 16
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 70
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Problems of self regulation, e.g. emotional dysfunction, represent a core symptom of adult patients with traumatic childhood experiences. The study intends to evaluate the efficiency of a 14-week group therapy for adult survivors of relational trauma in childhood. Main interventions are psychoeducation about the sequelae of childhood trauma, teaching of skills for affect regulation and techniques for activating resources. The hypothesis is that the group therapy significantly improves the participant's capacity in emotion management and self-soothing.

Detailed description: Problems of self regulation, e.g. emotional dysfunction, represent a core symptom of adult patients with traumatic childhood experiences. Since sufficient capacity for self soothing and emotional regulation are essential for trauma exposure, modern trauma therapy concepts are phase-oriented, beginning with working on "stabilization". The study intends to evaluate the efficiency of a 14-week group therapy for adult survivors of relational trauma in childhood. Main interventions are psychoeducation about the sequelae of childhood trauma, teaching of skills for affect regulation and techniques for activating resources. Inclusion criteria are clinical significant problems with self-regulation and the presence of childhood trauma. Outcome measures are based on self-rating questionnaires, clinical interviews and an experimental computer-task at timepoint pre-, post- and 3-month-follow-up. There is no control condition in the pilot-study phase.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Adults with moderate to severe relational trauma in childhood (emotional, sexual or physical abuse, emotional or physical neglect)
* DSM-IV diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder

Exclusion Criteria:

* Severe dissociation
* Environmental safety problems
* Ongoing enmeshment with perpetrators
* Psychotic disorders
* Severe depression
* Acute suicidality
* Substance abuse
* Severe cognitive decline

Primary outcomes:
measure: Score on affect regulation capacity at week 14(post-interventional) and month 3 (follow-up)
timeFrame: 2008
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Score on depression at week 14 (post-interventional) and month 3 (follow-up)
timeFrame: 2008
measure: Score on life quality at week 14 (post-interventional) and month 3 (follow-up)
timeFrame: 2008
measure: Score on personal resources at week 14 (post-interventional) and month 3 (follow-up)
timeFrame: 2008
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Zurich
country: Switzerland
facility: Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital
state: ZH
Study officials:
affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
name: Christoph Mueller, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
name: Michael Rufer, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: