Emotion Regulation Skills Training for Individuals With MS and Their Support Partners

March 23, 2021 updated by: Johns Hopkins University

Reducing Depression and Anxiety in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Their Support Partners: An Emotion Regulation Skills Training Intervention

This pilot randomized controlled trial investigates a novel, group-based emotion regulation skills training intervention for reducing anxious and depressive symptomatology and improving emotion regulation and problem solving in individuals with MS and the individual's support partners. Participants will be randomized (1:1) to the intervention ("Partnered Emotion Regulation Skills Intervention and Supportive Teaching [PERSIST]") or to the active control (Facilitated Peer Support).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21205
        • Johns Hopkins University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • at least 18 years old
  • able to speak/read in English
  • able to commit to attending at least 9 of the 12 weekly group sessions
  • individuals with MS must be relapse/exacerbation-free for at least 1 month
  • support partners must score at least 8 on the HADS-D or HADS-A
  • individuals with MS must score a least 11 on the HADS-D or HADS-A

Exclusion Criteria:

  • under 18 years old
  • unable to speak/read in English
  • unable to commit to attending at least 9 of the 12 weekly group sessions
  • MS relapse within 1 month

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: PERSIST
Participants will receive Partnered Emotion Regulation Skills Intervention and Support.
Behavioral: PERSIST
12-week group, adapted from Dialectical Behavior Therapy, that focuses on emotion regulation skills training and practice.
Active Comparator: Facilitated Peer Support
Participants will undergo a 12-week group intervention, adapted from community-based peer support groups, that focuses on participant-generated topics and facilitated discussion.
Behavioral: Facilitated Peer Support
12-week group, adapted from community-based peer support groups, that focuses on participant-generated topics and facilitated discussion.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Depression Subscale score of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D)
Time Frame: Baseline, 13 and 26 weeks
The HADS-D is a 7-item subscale of the HADS that measures depressive symptomatology. Scores range from 0 to 21 points (each item is rated 0-4), with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptomatology.
Baseline, 13 and 26 weeks
Change in Anxiety Subscale score of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A)
Time Frame: Baseline, 13 and 26 weeks
The HADS-A is a 7-item subscale of the HADS that measures anxious symptomatology. Scores range from 0 to 21 points (each item is rated 0-4), with higher scores indicating greater anxious symptomatology.
Baseline, 13 and 26 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16) score
Time Frame: Baseline, 13 and 26 weeks
The DERS-16 is a 16-item self-report measures that assesses difficulties with managing negative emotions, distress, and impulsivity. Scores range from 16 to 80 points (each item is rated 1-5), with higher scores indicating greater emotional dysregulation.
Baseline, 13 and 26 weeks
Change in Problem Solving Inventory (PSI) score
Time Frame: Baseline, 13 and 26 weeks
The PSI is a 32-item self-report instrument designed to assess perceived problem solving abilities. Scores range from 32 to 192 points (each item is rated 1-6), with higher scores indicating greater difficulty with problem solving.
Baseline, 13 and 26 weeks
Change in RAND 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) score
Time Frame: Baseline, 13 weeks, and 26 weeks
The SF-36 is a 36-item self-report measure of health-related quality of life. The scale is divided into 8 subscales, each ranging from 0 to 100 points, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life.
Baseline, 13 weeks, and 26 weeks
Change in Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) score
Time Frame: Baseline, 13 weeks, and 26 weeks
The ZBI is a 22-item self-report measure of caregiver burden. Scores range from 0 to 88 (each item is rated 0-4), with higher scores indicating greater burden.
Baseline, 13 weeks, and 26 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Johns Hopkins University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Abbey Hughes, PhD, Johns Hopkins University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 7, 2020

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 15, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 15, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 29, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 29, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 2, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 24, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 23, 2021

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB00199623
  • PP-1804-30860 (Other Grant/Funding Number: National Multiple Sclerosis Society)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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