AzTrials
AzTrials

TraumaA4FM/AENCT05674734

4FM Acceptance Training as the New Form of cPTSD-focused Treatment Based on Existential Analysis

A study testing 4FM Acceptance Training in people with Trauma, run by Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

Research project entitled "The experience of relational trauma as an important etiological factor of neurotic and/or personality disorders. The 4FM Acceptance training as a new form of therapy for these disorders" assumes the following goals: 1. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 60 years
Conditions the study is for
Trauma
What is being tested?
4FM Acceptance Training
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
100 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
1 Apr 2023to 31 Dec 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 60 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Signed informed consent provide.
  • Stable mental state allowing for reliable completion of the questionnaires.
  • Native Polish language.
  • Meeting the cPTSD diagnosis based on ITQ - International Trauma Questionnaire), self-report questionnaire, Cloitre et al. (2021), Polish version validated within the project.

Who cannot join

  • No consent to participate in the research.
  • Coexisting addiction to alcohol or psychoactive substances, documented intellectual disability, dementia or organic changes of the central nervous system.

Trial locations and contacts

No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

About this study

Official title: Relational Trauma as an Etiological Factor of Neurotic and/or Personality Disorders Training Acceptance 4FM as a New Form of Therapy for These Disorders

Research project entitled "The experience of relational trauma as an important etiological factor of neurotic and/or personality disorders. The 4FM Acceptance training as a new form of therapy for these disorders" assumes the following goals:

  1. validation of the Polish version of the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ);
  2. assessment of prevalence of relational trauma among adult psychiatric patients hospitalized at the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology;
  3. development a new therapeutic intervention - 4FM Acceptance training - based on the methodology of the Existential Analysis;
  4. assessment of the impact of the 4FM Acceptance training among patients with cPTSD.

The original therapeutic intervention - 4FM Acceptance training - will be developed based on the methodological assumptions of the 4 Fundamental Motivations (4FM) in the Existential Analysis methodology, developed by Alfried Längle, student of Viktor Frankl, a representative of the Existential Psychology, together with other important representatives, i.e. Rollo May, Irvin Yalom and in Poland prof. Antoni Kępiński.

Read the detailed description

Relational trauma, related to early childhood traumatic experiences in relationships with caregivers, usually parents, significantly affects the overall functioning of a person in adulthood. It may also contribute to the occurrence of neurotic disorders and/or personality disorders. The ICD-11 classification introduces a new diagnosis related to the experience of relational trauma, i.e., "complex post-traumatic stress disorder - complex PTSD" (6B41, complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, cPTSD). It is a separate nosological unit from PTSD (6B40) (ICD-11, 2022).

Relational trauma therapy should differ from that recommended in PTSD, as it often happens that the "burden of the past" affects the present. Existential psychotherapy may be an effective form of treatment. The Existential Analysis, Alfried Längle's theory of motivation, can be used to treat people who have experienced relational trauma and meet the criteria of cPTSD diagnosis. The project will analyze the impact of a new group therapeutic intervention - 4FM Acceptance Training - on improving existential fulfilment, increasing basic hope, and reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. 4FM Acceptance Training is the intervention including self-regulatory strategies and trauma-focused interventions.

The obtained results will allow for the assessment of: dissemination of relational trauma, alexithymia, dissociation, somatoform dissociation in the context of the attachment style among people with mental disorders. Thus, they will contribute to the verification of the hypothesis of relational trauma as an important etiological factor of personality disorders and / or neurotic disorders; the usefulness of the 4FM Acceptance group training in the therapy of people with relational trauma and cPTSD.

Conditions
Trauma
Being tested
4FM Acceptance Training
Keywords
cPTSD, complex trauma treatment, 4 Fundamental Motivations, Existential Analysis
Medical subject headings
Wounds and Injuries

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • 4FM Acceptance TrainingBehavioural

    4FM Acceptance Training, therapeutic intervention in the form of an additional to TAU module - 12 (1,5 hour) group meetings in the form of 4FM Acceptance Training at Day Care Units at IPIN Mental Health Centre for Mokotów and IPiN (1 meeting weekly).

Study groups in NCT05674734
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
4FM/ATExperimental4FM Acceptance Training, therapeutic intervention in the form of an additional to TAU (Treatment-As-Usual) module - 12 (1,5 hour) group meetings in the form of 4FM Acceptance Training at Day Care Units at Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology (IPiN) Mental Health Centre for Mokotów and IPiN.
Receives: Behavioral: 4FM Acceptance Training
4FM/TAUNo interventionTreatment As Usual - 12 group therapy meetings at Day Care Units at IPIN and IPIN Mental Health Centre for Mokotów.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. The International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ; Cloitre et al., 2018, Polish version (PL) validated within this study as the separate task)

    20-item self-report scale to assess the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and CPTSD according to ICD-11 (WHO, 2018), cPTSD is diagnosed if the criteria for PTSD are met - at least 2 scores of one of two symptoms from the symptom clusters - AND criteria for Disturbances in Self-Organization are met - at least 2 scores of one of two symptoms from the symptom clusters

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 2 years, before start of the intervention

  2. Trauma Experiences Checklist (TEC, Nijenhuis et al., 2002, PL: Pietkiewicz, Tomalski, 2016).

    29-item self-report questionnaire that measures 29 types of potential trauma, including criterion A events of PTSD, to assess the correlations among a wide range of reported traumatic experiences, including emotional neglect, emotional abuse, somatoform, as well as psychological, manifestations of dissociation according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (APA, 1994), possible trauma area severity scores range from 0 to 12 for emotional neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse, and from 0 to 24 for bodily threat

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 2 years, before start of the intervention

  3. Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20, Taylor et al.,1994, PL: Ścigała et al., 2020)

    20-item self-report scale that measures alexithymia, difficulty in identifying and describing emotions, a score below 51 indicates no alexithymia, a score equal to or greater than 61 indicates the presence of alexithymia, scores between 52 and 60 indicate the presence of alexithymia

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 2 years, before start of the intervention

  4. Dissociative Experiences Scale, (DES-R PL, Dalenberg, Carlson, 2010, PL: Pietkiewicz et al., (2016)

    28-item self-report scale that measures frequency of dissociation, the total score ranges from 0 to 196 in DES-R PL, the cutoff for dissociative disorders is over 71 points

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 2 years, before start of the intervention

  5. Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20 PL, Nijenhuis et al., (1996), PL: Pietkiewicz et al., 2018)

    20-item self-report scale that evaluates the severity of somatoform dissociation, the total score ranges from 20 to 100, the cut-off point to reach the maximum sensitivity and specificity of the tool for dissociative (conversion) disorders is 29.5

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 2 years, before start of the intervention

  6. Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ, Feeney,1994, PL: Żechowski et al., 2014)

    40-item self-report scale that measures the attachment style based on four-dimensions model by Bartholomew and Horowitz, attachment dimensions: secure, fearful, preoccupied and dismissing, on each dimension separately, respondents give answers on a 5-point scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree)

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 2 years, before start of the intervention

  7. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS, Overall, Gorham, 1962)

    The BPRS assesses the level of 18 symptoms by clinicians or researchers to measure psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and psychoses, the rater enters a number for each symptom construct that ranges from 1 (not present) to 7 (extremely severe)

    Measured: Before treatment, 1st week of intervention (first session)

  8. The Existence Scale (ES, Längle et al., 2003, PL researchers of the Medical University of Warsaw II Psychiatric Clinic under the direction of Kokoszka and Längle)

    46-item self-report questionnaire to assess existential fulfillment, the possible score ranges from 46 to 276 points, a high score corresponds to a high degree of existential fulfillment

    Measured: Before treatment, 1st week of intervention (first session)

  9. Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSQW, Meyer et al., 1990, PL Janowski, 2007)

    16-item self-report questionnaire to measure intensity of worry and anxiety, the possible score rages from 16 to 80, higher score corresponds to a higher intensity of worry and anxiety

    Measured: Before treatment, 1st week of intervention (first session)

  10. Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised (CESD-R, Eaton et al., 2004, PL: Koziara, 2016)

    20-item self-report scale to measure symptoms of depression in nine different groups as defined by the APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fifth edition, a higher score means a higher probability of meeting the criteria for depression

    Measured: Before treatment, 1st week of intervention (first session)

  11. Basic Hope Questionnaire (BHI-12, Trzebiński and Zięba, 2003)

    16-item self-report questionnaire to measure basic hope understood, according to Erikson's theory, as an individual's conviction about the order and sense of the world and its favor for people, the possible score rages from 12 to 60, higher score corresponds to a higher basic hope

    Measured: Before treatment, 1st week of intervention (first session)

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS, Overall, Gorham, 1962)

    The BPRS assesses the level of 18 symptoms by clinicians or researchers to measure psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and psychoses, the rater enters a number for each symptom construct that ranges from 1 (not present) to 7 (extremely severe)

    Measured: After treatment, 12th week of intervention (last session), report - through study completion, an average of 2,5 years

  2. The Existence Scale (ES, Längle et al., 2003, PL researchers of the Medical University of Warsaw II Psychiatric Clinic under the direction of Kokoszka and Längle)

    46-item self-report questionnaire to assess existential fulfillment, the possible score ranges from 46 to 276 points, a high score corresponds to a high degree of existential fulfillment

    Measured: After treatment, 12th week of intervention (last session), report - through study completion, an average of 2,5 years

  3. Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSQW, Meyer et al., 1990, PL Janowski, 2007)

    16-item self-report questionnaire to measure intensity of worry and anxiety, the possible score rages from 16 to 80, higher score corresponds to a higher intensity of worry and anxiety

    Measured: After treatment, 12th week of intervention (last session), report - through study completion, an average of 2,5 years

  4. Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised (CESD-R, Eaton et al., 2004, PL: Koziara, 2016)

    20-item self-report scale to measure symptoms of depression in nine different groups as defined by the APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fifth edition, a higher score means a higher probability of meeting the criteria for depression

    Measured: After treatment, 12th week of intervention (last session), report - through study completion, an average of 2,5 years

  5. Basic Hope Questionnaire (BHI-12, Trzebiński and Zięba, 2003)

    16-item self-report questionnaire to measure basic hope understood, according to Erikson's theory, as an individual's conviction about the order and sense of the world and its favor for people, the possible score rages from 12 to 60, higher score corresponds to a higher basic hope

    Measured: After treatment, 12th week of intervention (last session), report - through study completion, an average of 2,5 years

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted6 Jan 2023
  2. Study start1 Apr 2023 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion30 Jun 2023 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Dec 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
100 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05674734
Sponsor's protocol ID
A4FM/AE
Acronym
A4FM/AE
Status last verified
Mar 2023
First submitted
16 Dec 2022
Last updated
6 Mar 2023
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing 4FM Acceptance Training in people with Trauma, run by Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Mar 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Dorota Draczynska (22 45 82 242 ext. +48, ddraczynska@ipin.edu.pl), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

The International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ; Cloitre et al., 2018, Polish version (PL) validated within this study as the separate task) (time frame: Through study completion, up to 2 years, before start of the intervention). The study lists 11 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Mar 2023.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in