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

May 13, 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

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

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

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

120

Phase

  • 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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria were:

  • (1) receiving treatment at ÇEMATEM, (2) aged 14-18 years, (3) diagnosed with substance use disorder, (4) scoring ≤54 on the emotion regulation scale, (5) having sufficient cognitive capacity for communication, and (6) willingness to participate.

Exclusion Criteria included:

  • (1) presence of neurological, sensory, or physical impairments, (2) severe psychiatric comorbidities (e.g., psychotic disorders), and (3) 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
Intervention / Treatment
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

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

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)

November 15, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 10, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

February 10, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 13, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 19, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 19, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 13, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID 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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