The objective of this study is primarily to answer the question if the EMDR Feeling State Addiction Protocol van Miller (2010), can contribute in reducing the urge to stalk. Participating clients are in treatment at De Waag (a out patient forensic…
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Impulse control disorders NEC
Synonym
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
The primary study parameter is the self reported urge to stalk. Every session
in the study (treatment as usual and EMDR) wil start with the question to the
participant to report the urge to stalk at that very moment, thinking of their
(ex)partner and what they hope to achieve in the relation with their (ex)
partner.
Clients will score a 11-point scale in which the zero stands for no urge and
the eleven for maximum urge. A same 11-point scale will be used during the
EMDR sessions to score the intensity of positive feelings. (Shapiro, 1989;
Wolpe, 1982).
Secondary outcome
The secundary outcome of the study is to answer the question if the intensity
of the reported tension, positive and/or negative, during the EMDR sessions, is
correlated with the measured physiological arousal.
The expectation is that the, during the EMDR sessions reported Levels of
Possitive Affect (LoPA), Levels of Urge (LoU) and Subjective Unit of Distress
(SUD) will correlate with the physiological arousal, in the form of reactivity
in skin conductance (positive) and HRV (negative).
Physiological arousal will be explorative measured with the Empatica E4
wristwatch, an instrument that measures heart rate, skin conductance and body
temperature. They will wear the wristband during the whole time of te EMDR
session. This method was chosen because it is the least intrusive methods of
the physiological instruments in the hope it will not interfere with the
decision to participate in the study.
During the four EMDR sessions will the participants be asked to report the
level of tension (LoPA, Level of Positive affect and SUD, Subjective Unit of
Distress) and the level of urge to stalk (LoU, Level of Urge).
Measurements of skin conductance and heart rate (from which the Heart Rate
Variability will be calculated) will be done during all four EMDR sessions.
From this data 6 correlation coefficients will be calculated between the
physiological measures and the self reported data.
Background summary
Within the forensic mental health services exists a demand for the development
of focused interventions and/or guidelines for the treatment of specific
problem behavior. For domestic violence there exist several treatment programs,
but for stalking, which is sometimes part of the domestic violence, no such
program exists. This study hopes to be the first start for developing such a
program. This study will examine if the intervention Eye Movement and
Reprocessing (EMDR) is effective in reducing the urge to stalk.
The hypothesis is that EMDR treatment of stalkers, according to the addiction
protocol of Miller (2010), will lead to a significant decrease in the urge to
stalk.
The idea that EMDR could be a suitable intervention comes from the already
published research of treating addiction problems with EMDR (see page 15
researchprotocol). Stalking is by many seen as obsessive behavior where one may
suspect that a lot of the same mechanisms play a role as in addiction and
therefore can be influenced with a EMDR treatment. (see research protocol page
15 and 16).
Study objective
The objective of this study is primarily to answer the question if the EMDR
Feeling State Addiction Protocol van Miller (2010), can contribute in reducing
the urge to stalk. Participating clients are in treatment at De Waag (a out
patient forensic psychiatric centre in The Netherlands with various offices)
Based on this objective the following hypothesis is formulated:
It is expected that EMDR treatment of stalkers according to the addiction
protocol from Miller (2010), will lead to a signifficant decrease in the self
reported urge to stalk.
Study design
The study concerns a multiple baseline study (N=1). This design was chosen
because of the small number of clients in forensic treatment. Stalkers who are
just started with treatment and those who are already in treatment are included
in the study. All participants will get at some moment, the experimental
intervention. A serie of pre measurements will serve as a baseline which can be
compared with post measurements. The four experimental EMDR sessions will be
inserted at different times in the treatment as usual so the added value of the
experimental treatment can be beter evaluated.
After informed consent, participants will be explicitly measured the first
following appointment on their positive feelings about stalking at that moment,
as in every following session, treatment as usual and EMDR during the study.
These measurements will be done at the beginning of the session. (See table 1,
research protocol C1, pag. 18).
During the four EMDR sessions will, according to the protocol, the Levels of
Possitive Affect (LoPA), Levels of Urge (LoU) and Subjective Units of Distress
(SUD) be measured. The LoPA and LoU measure positive feelings. The SUD is used
to measure negative feelings. During the session, on average, the LoPA/LoU and
SUD meting will be measured 15 times. Skin conductance and hartbeat, from with
the HRV will be calculated, are measured during the hole session.
Intervention
Every participant will get four EMDR sessions from one hour. For further
details see the researchprotocol pages 20 to 23.
Study burden and risks
Thera are no safety risks associated with the treatment. The treatment can
elicit negative feelings because difficult, sensitive and private topics are
discussed. Clinical practice has shown that such feelings are well tolerated
and can even be beneficial to the processing proces of the problems.
Further it is possible that participants will need some time to get accostumed
to wearing the special wristwatch which measures physical arousal during the
EMDR sessions.
The burden implies four treatment sessions of one hour and 8 treatment as usual
sessions in which only at the beginning of the sessions a few short questions
will be asked (max two minutes). In the first EMDR session and in the last
session of the study participants fill in two short questionnaires (2x20 min)
Participants are at any time free to prematurely end their participation,
without this having any negative consequences for the rest of their treatment.
Willem Dreeslaan 20
Utrecht 3515 GB
NL
Willem Dreeslaan 20
Utrecht 3515 GB
NL
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
Age between 18 and 70 years
Stalking behavior
Rejected stalker type
In treatment at De Waag
Exclusion criteria
Presence of a severe psychiatric state like a psychotic disorder, depressive disorder, bipolar or organic mental disorder
Insufficient Dutch language skills
Age under 18 or above 70 years
three times in a row the urge score is zero on the pre measurements
Design
Recruitment
Followed up by the following (possibly more current) registration
No registrations found.
Other (possibly less up-to-date) registrations in this register
No registrations found.
In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| CCMO | NL56529.078.16 |