Integrated Attachment Theory

October 27, 2026 updated by: Boston University Charles River Campus

This pilot randomized waitlist-controlled study will evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effects of a 12-week Integrated Attachment Theory (IAT) psychoeducational coaching program in adults ages 18-65 with an insecure attachment pattern identified through study screening.

Eligible participants will be randomized 1:1 to immediate IAT or a 12-week waitlist followed by IAT. The immediate group will complete in-person Boston University assessments before and after IAT; the waitlist group will complete assessments at baseline, after the 12-week waiting period, and after subsequently completing IAT.

The primary objectives are to determine whether the study procedures and intervention are feasible and to estimate the magnitude and variability of pre/post changes. The investigators hypothesize that IAT will be associated with improvement in attachment-related patterns, emotion regulation, interpersonal functioning, and well-being, together with changes in physiological and cortical responses during attachment-related emotion regulation compared with the waitlist period.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

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 (Estimated)

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.
24

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Meryem Yücel, PhD
  • Phone Number: 617-353-1181
  • Email: mayucel@bu.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215
        • Boston University Center for Life Science & Engineering
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
          • Miray Altinkaynak, PhD MPH

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 to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Speak and read English sufficiently to complete study questionnaires and the IAT program
  • Meets the PDS attachment-style eligibility criterion for insecure attachment
  • Able and willing to attend required in-person Boston University (BU) research visits
  • Able and willing, if assigned, to participate in the 12-week remote IAT program.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Self-reported neurological disorder or condition
  • Self-reported psychiatric/mental-health disorder
  • Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) total score >14
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) total score >14
  • Failure to meet the PDS attachment-style eligibility criterion
  • Inability to complete required study procedures
  • A safety concern that makes participation inappropriate.

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: Immediate Integrated Attachment Theory (IAT)

Participants randomized to this arm will immediately receive the 12 week IAT intervention.
Behavioral: IAT

IAT provides12 consecutive weekly remote Zoom sessions delivered by Personal Development School (PDS). Each session lasts approximately 2.5 hours with about 90 minutes of teaching plus 1 hour of supervised support. Participants will work in small breakout rooms with two participants per room during the support portion. The 12-week curriculum addresses core beliefs, relationship needs, emotional/nervous-system patterns, communication, boundaries, and behaviors. Participants will also complete approximately 10 minutes of daily skills practice/homework.
Active Comparator: Waitlist followed by IAT

Participants randomized to this arm will be put on a 12 week waitlist and after will receive the IAT intervention.
Behavioral: IAT

IAT provides12 consecutive weekly remote Zoom sessions delivered by Personal Development School (PDS). Each session lasts approximately 2.5 hours with about 90 minutes of teaching plus 1 hour of supervised support. Participants will work in small breakout rooms with two participants per room during the support portion. The 12-week curriculum addresses core beliefs, relationship needs, emotional/nervous-system patterns, communication, boundaries, and behaviors. Participants will also complete approximately 10 minutes of daily skills practice/homework.

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
Feasibility of IAT intervention
Time Frame: baseline through 12 weeks

Feasibility will be assessed using intervention and study completion. The number and percentage of participants assigned to IAT who complete the 12-week IAT program and the corresponding post-intervention research assessment will be calculated. Higher completion/retention rates will indicate greater feasibility.
baseline through 12 weeks
Change in attachment
Time Frame: baseline and 12 weeks

Attachment will be assessed using the self-report Personal Development School (PDS) Attachment-Style Questionnaire administered at baseline and again at the post-intervention assessment. The questionnaire characterizes participants' attachment patterns, including secure and insecure attachment styles. Change from baseline to 12 weeks will be evaluated, with movement toward greater attachment security interpreted as improvement.
baseline and 12 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 emotion regulation, measured by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-36)
Time Frame: baseline and 12 weeks

Emotion regulation will be assessed using the 36-item self-report Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-36). Items are rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always). The total score ranges from 36 to 180. Higher scores indicate greater difficulties with emotion regulation; therefore, a decrease in score from baseline indicates improvement in emotion regulation.
baseline and 12 weeks
Change in interpersonal functioning, measured by the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-32 (IIP-32)
Time Frame: baseline and 12 weeks

Interpersonal functioning will be assessed using the 32-item self-report Inventory of Interpersonal Problems, Short Form (IIP-32). Items are rated from 0 (not at all) to 4 (very much) and assess difficulties across eight interpersonal domains. Higher scores indicate greater interpersonal difficulties; therefore, a decrease from baseline indicates improvement in interpersonal functioning.
baseline and 12 weeks
Change in well-being, measured by the WHO-5 Well-Being Index
Time Frame: baseline and 12 weeks

Well-being will be assessed using the 5-item self-report World Health Organization 5 (WHO-5) Well-Being Index. Each item is rated from 0 to 5. Raw scores range from 0 to 25 and are multiplied by 4 to yield a score from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate better well-being; therefore, an increase from baseline indicates improvement.
baseline and 12 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.
Boston University Charles River Campus

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.
Personal Development School (PDS)

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: Meryem Yücel, PhD, BU, Biomedical Engineering, Neurophotonics Center

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 (Estimated)

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.
December 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 1, 2027

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).
October 27, 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.
October 27, 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.
November 6, 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.
November 6, 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.
October 27, 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.
October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • TBD not assigned

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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