The first aim is to test the effectiveness of the school-based targeted prevention program for youth with mild intellectual disabilities and behavior problems (e.g., aggressive and oppositional defiant behavior) at reducing behaviour problems. The…
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Personality disorders and disturbances in behaviour
Synonym
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
The primary outcome measure is behaviour problems. This is measured using a
multi-informant (i.e., child, parents, and teachers) approach.
Secondary outcome
The secondary outcome measures are also measured using a multi-informant
approach (i.e., child, parents, trainers, and teachers). They include the
following mediators: social information processing, emotion regulation, and
self-control. They include the following moderators: treatment integrity,
therapeutic alliance, client comprehension, treatment motivation, client
involvement.
Background summary
Youth with mild intellectual disabilities and borderline intellectual
functioning (hereby referred to as Mild to Borderline Intellectual
Disabilities, or MBID; youth with an IQ between 65 and 85 and deficits in
adaptive behavior) display more behavior problems, such as oppositional defiant
and aggressive behavior, than children without MBID, and these behavior
problems are more likely to persist later in life. However, research into
interventions specifically for youth with MBID is limited. Such specific
interventions are needed, because standard intervention protocols may be less
suitable for youth with MBID and behaviour problems, due to their limited
cognitive abilities and other social and psychological risk factors. Therefore,
a new school-based targeted prevention program called Self-control Beats Anger,
designed specifically for youth with MBID and behavior problems, has been
developed, based on an evidence based intervention for children without MBID.
Study objective
The first aim is to test the effectiveness of the school-based targeted
prevention program for youth with mild intellectual disabilities and behavior
problems (e.g., aggressive and oppositional defiant behavior) at reducing
behaviour problems. The second aim is to examine mediating variables (social
information processing, emotion regulation, and self-control). The third aim is
to investigate moderating variables, including demographic variables, IQ,
initial level of problems, and therapy factors (i.e., treatment integrity,
therapeutic alliance, client comprehension, treatment motivation, and client
involvement).
Study design
The present study is a randomized controlled trial with two conditions and four
repeated measures. Participants are randomly assigned to either the
intervention condition or the control condition (care-as-usual).
Intervention
Self-control Beats Anger consists of one individual session and ten group
sessions (3-5 youth per group) led by a trainer and a co-trainer. The targeted
prevention program uses CBT-techniques such as cognitive restructuring,
emotion-education, role playing, and modeling. Specific adaptions have been
made to tailor the program to the needs of youth with MBID (e.g., set session
structure, pictorial aids, limited and easy text, repetition of learned skills,
and use of videos to make hypothetical situations more life-like and to limit
the amount of reading). Homework exercises are given after most sessions and
these are discussed in the following session. A month after the tenth session,
a booster session is given.
Study burden and risks
Participant burden is kept to a minimum. It consists of completing several
questionnaires (4 times for teachers, parents and children) and vignette based
measures for the children (SIP tasks) over the course of the intervention.
Additionally, children, parents en teachers fill out a brief weekly measure
during the course of the intervention (11 times). For children, the total
measurement battery will take no longer than one school-hour to complete. For
parents and teachers, it will take around 20 minutes the first time, and about
15 minutes after that. The number of questionnaires are kept to the minimum
needed to draw conclusions about the effectiveness, mediators, and moderators
of the intervention. The intervention itself takes about 60 to 85 minutes per
session. Further, no risk is expected to be associated with the present study,
while the information obtained by youth, their parents, and their teachers is
of great clinical and empirical importance. Considering the lack of research
into treatment for youth with MBID, these limited measures should make a large
scientific contribution to better understanding and improving the treatment of
youth with MBID, as well as the theory behind it.
Heidelberglaan 1
Utrecht 3584 CS
NL
Heidelberglaan 1
Utrecht 3584 CS
NL
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
- Age between 9 and 14 years old
- Subclinical or clinical scores on behavior problems as determined based on a
standardized screening questionnaire filled out by the teacher (i.e., the TRF
externalizing problems subscale; scores > 84th percentile indicate subclinical
or clinical scores)
- An IQ between 65 and 85 (as determined by IQ data provided by the school if
available and if not older than two years; if such data is unavailable, IQ is
determined by the administration of seven subtests of the WISC-V-NL)
See protocol section 6 (Methods) for more information on the screening
measurements we use to determine whether children do or do not meet the
inclusion criteria.
Exclusion criteria
- The presence of an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, or severe autism
spectrum disorder symptoms, as determined by on a standardized screening
questionnaire filled out by the teacher (i.e., the ASV symptom score; scores >
95th percentile indicate severe scores)
- The presence of severe deficits in language, auditory, or visual skills (as
determined during the formal screening, by means of on a short yes/no
questionnaire filled out by the school mental health professional)
- The youth is currently in therapy elsewhere for the same problems they would
be treated for in the intervention (i.e., externalizing behavior; as determined
during the formal screening, by means on a short yes/no questionnaire filled
out by the school mental health professional)
See protocol section 6 (Methods) for more information on the screening
measurements we use to determine whether children do or do not meet the
exclusion criteria.
Design
Recruitment
Followed up by the following (possibly more current) registration
No registrations found.
Other (possibly less up-to-date) registrations in this register
In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| CCMO | NL74665.041.20 |
| OMON | NL-OMON27699 |