The Impact of Trauma-Informed Sports-Based Intervention on Emotion Regulation, Self-Esteem, and Peer Relationships in Adolescents With Substance Use Disorder

June 3, 2026 updated by: Neslihan Lok

The Impact of Trauma-Informed Sports-Based Intervention on Emotion Regulation, Self-Esteem, and Peer Relationships in Adolescents With Substance Use Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of a trauma-informed sports-based intervention on emotion regulation, self-esteem, and peer relationships in adolescents with substance use disorder. The research hypotheses of this study are as follows: 1. Adolescents with substance use disorder who receive the trauma-informed sports-based intervention will exhibit statistically higher emotion regulation skills compared to those in the control group. 2. Adolescents with substance use disorder who receive the trauma-informed sports-based intervention will exhibit statistically higher levels of self-esteem compared to those in the control group. 3. Adolescents with substance use disorder who receive the trauma-informed sports-based intervention will exhibit statistically improved peer relationships compared to those in the control group. The study hypothesizes that participation in a trauma-informed sports-based intervention will lead to enhancement on emotion regulation, self-esteem, and peer relationships in adolescents with substance use disorder. Researchers were compared the trauma-informed sports-based intervention to a control group (no intervention) to see if the trauma-informed sports-based intervention works on femotion regulation, self-esteem, and peer relationships in adolescents with substance use disorder. Intervention group participants were:

attended the trauma-informed sports-based intervention, 8-week period, with sessions held five days a week, consisting of three days of psychoeducation and two days of sports-based practice, each lasting 45-60 minutes, at a municipally affiliated Child and Adolescent Alcohol and Substance Addiction Treatment Center (ÇEMATEM).

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.

Detailed Description

The study was conducted with adolescents aged 14-18 with substance use disorder in a ÇEMATEM, according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 147 adolescents with substance use disorder were included in the study. These individuals were randomly assigned to two groups: intervention and control groups. Pre-test data were collected in a quiet room at the ÇEMATEM by researches between November 15 and 20, 2025 from both the intervention and control groups using the "Personal Information Form", "Emotion Regulation Scale for Adolescents", "Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale" and "Peer Relationships Scale" on a self-report basis. The Trauma-Informed Sports-Based Intervention was administered to the intervention group between November 2025 and January 2026 for 8 weeks, five days a week, consisting of three days of psychoeducation and two days of sports-based practice, in sessions lasting 45-60 minutes each. At the end of the Trauma-Informed Sports-Based Intervention, both the intervention and control groups were administered the "Emotion Regulation Scale for Adolescents", "Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale" and "Peer Relationships Scale" as a post-test on January, 2026. The control group received no intervention during the 8-week program.

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.
120

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

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye), 06000
        • Child and Adolescent Alcohol and Substance Addiction Treatment Center (ÇEMATEM)

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

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria were:

  • receiving treatment at ÇEMATEM,
  • aged 14-18 years,
  • diagnosed with substance use disorder,
  • scoring ≤54 on the emotion regulation scale,
  • having sufficient cognitive capacity for communication,
  • willingness to participate.

Exclusion Criteria included:

  • presence of neurological, sensory, or physical impairments,
  • severe psychiatric comorbidities (e.g., psychotic disorders),
  • clinical conditions preventing participation.

Participants who missed at least two sessions of the intervention were excluded.

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: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

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: Intervention
The intervention group was a group of 60 people consisting of adolescents with substance use disorder who followed the 8-week the Trauma-Informed Sports-Based Intervention.
Behavioral: The Trauma-Informed Sport-Based Intervention Program

The Trauma-Informed Sport-Based Intervention Program

The program was structured according to trauma-informed care principles and aimed to enhance emotion regulation, self-esteem, and peer relationships. It integrated cognitive behavioral psychoeducation with sport-based activities. The intervention was conducted five days a week (Psychoeducation sessions were conducted three days per week, while sport-based activities were implemented two days per week), each session lasting 45-60 minutes, over 8 weeks. The program consisted of four core components:

(1) Emotion regulation and anger management: Developing skills to recognize, express, and regulate emotions. (2) Behavioral (social skills): Enhancing peer relationships, empathy, and communication skills. (3) Cognitive component: Increasing self-awareness and restructuring maladaptive thoughts. (4) Sport-based component: Cooperative games, rhythmic exercises, coordination activities, and body awareness practices.
No Intervention: Control Group
The control group consisted of 60 adolescents with substance use disorder who did not receive any intervention for 8 weeks.

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
Emotion regulation total mean score
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of the trauma-informed sports-based intervention at 8 weeks.
Emotion regulation was assessed using the Emotion Regulation Scale for Adolescents, multidimensional structure assessing various aspects of emotion regulation processes. Total scores range from 18 to 90, with higher scores indicate greater difficulties in emotion regulation.
From enrollment to the end of the trauma-informed sports-based intervention at 8 weeks.
Self-esteem total mean score
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of the trauma-informed sports-based intervention at 8 weeks.
Self-esteem was assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, consists of 10 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate higher levels of self-esteem. In the Turkish validity and reliability study of the scale, scores of 0-1 were classified as high self-esteem, scores of 2-4 as moderate self-esteem, and scores of 5-6 as low self-esteem.
From enrollment to the end of the trauma-informed sports-based intervention at 8 weeks.
Peer Relationships total mean score
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of the trauma-informed sports-based intervention at 8 weeks.
Peer Relationships was assessed using the Peer Relationships Scale, the final version of the scale consists of 22 items across five subscales: Companionship, Conflict, Help, Protection, and Closeness. Total scores range from 1 to 5, with Scores are calculated as the mean of total or subscale scores, with higher scores indicating better peer relationship quality.
From enrollment to the end of the trauma-informed sports-based intervention at 8 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.
Neslihan Lok

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.
November 15, 2025

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.
January 10, 2026

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.
February 10, 2026

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).
May 13, 2026

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.
May 13, 2026

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 19, 2026

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.
June 5, 2026

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.
June 3, 2026

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.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • SelcukU-GUzun-004

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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