The Efficacy of a Compassion Focused Therapy-based Intervention in Detained Youth

NCT03971682 | Completed

• 3 other identifiers: CINEICC-1-DRSSFRH/BD/99795/2014POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016724
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 150
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This non-randomized controlled trial with a control group aimed to assess the efficacy of a 20-session individualized Compassion Focused Therapy-based intervention, the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP, in reducing psychopathic traits (primary outcomes), aggression, shame, emotion regulation problems, and fears of compassion, as well as in increasing social safeness, self-compassion, and compassion towards others (secondary outcomes). The PSYCHOPATHY.COMP's impact on psychophysiological (i.e., Heart Rate/Heart Rate Variability) and behavioral indicators (i.e., number disciplinary infractions and number of days in punishment) were also tested, in order to ascertain if changes observed in self-report questionnaires were reflected in more adjusted psychophysiological and behavioral patterns. Mental Health disorders, as well as the number of Conduct Disorder criteria, were also tested as moderators of treatment effects.

Conditions

Psychopathic Personality Trait; Conduct Disorder; Delinquency

Keywords

Conduct Disorder; Compassion Focused Therapy; Detained Youth; Psychopathic Traits; PSYCHOPATHY.COMP

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change of psychopathic traits

  Participants reported on the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory-Short (YPI-S; Van Baardewijk et al. 2010). The YPI-S is an 18-item self-report questionnaire, which assesses psychopathic traits in youth via ratings within three different factors: Grandiose-Manipulative (GM); Callous-Unemotional (CU), and Impulsive-Irresponsible (II). Each factor is estimated by a set of six items; each item is rated on a four-point scale (1 = "Does not apply at all" to 4 = "Applies very well").This assessment was carried out by researchers, who received training in this self-report measures.

  baseline; 6 months, 12 months

• Change psychopathic traits

  Participants reported on the Proposed Specifiers for Conduct Disorder (PSCD; Salekin \& Hare, 2016). The PSCD is a 24-item self-report questionnaire, which assesses the above mentioned psychopathic traits, as well as antisocial behavior. Each factor is estimated by a set of six items; each item is rated on a three-point scale (0 = "False" to 2 = "True"). This assessment was carried out by researchers, who received training in this self-report measures.

  baseline; 6 months, 12 months

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• External Shame

  baseline; 6 months, 12 months

• Social Safeness and Pleasure

  baseline; 6 months, 12 months

• Self-Compassion

  baseline; 6 months, 12 months

• Compassion

  baseline; 6 months, 12 months

• Fears of Compassion

  baseline; 6 months, 12 months

Other Outcomes (2)

• Psychopathology

  Baseline

• Recidivism Risk Assessment

  Baseline

Study Arms (2)

Experimental - PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program.

EXPERIMENTAL

The PSYCHOPATHY.COMP is a structured individual program for detained youth. This program is based on Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), which conceptualizes antisocial behavior and psychopathic traits as evolutionary rooted responses to deal with harsh rearing scenarios. The ultimate goal of the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP is to develop a compassionate motivation in these youth. PSYCHOPATHY.COMP consists of 20 individual sessions, each lasting about 60 minutes, which run on a weekly basis. Sessions must be carried out by therapists skillful in CFT. Sessions are grouped into four modules: (1) The basics of our mind; (2) Our mind according to CFT; (3) Compassionate Mind Training; and (4) Recovery, relapse prevention, and finalization. The treatment group attended the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program in addition to the Treatment As Usual (TAU) delivered at Portuguese juvenile detention facilities.

Behavioral: PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program.; Other: Treatment As Usual - TAU

Treatment As Usual - TAU

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Treatment As Usual: Subjects in this group received Treatment As Usual in Portuguese juvenile detention facilities (school frequency, token economy system for behavior control, frequency of a structured cognitive-behavioral group program, as well as individualized counseling sessions delivered by psychologists from the juvenile justice system) and did not attend the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program.

Other: Treatment As Usual - TAU

Interventions

PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program. BEHAVIORAL

The PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program is a structured individualized program for detained youth based on Compassion Focused Therapy, aimed to develop a compassionate motivation in these youth. Treatment As Usual Treatment As Usual (TAU) in Portuguese juvenile detention facilities is primarily aimed to increase educational and professional qualifications, as well as to promote behavioral regulation.

Experimental - PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program.

Treatment As Usual - TAU OTHER

Treatment As Usual (TAU) in Portuguese juvenile detention facilities is primarily aimed to increase educational and professional qualifications, as well as to promote behavioral regulation.

Experimental - PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program.; Treatment As Usual - TAU

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 14 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Detained youth aged between 14 and 18 years old
• Presence of Conduct Disorder as the main diagnosis (MINI-KID)

You may not qualify if:

• Non-Portuguese speaking (to avoid communication issues);
• Remaining in the juvenile detention facility less than 12 months since the beginning of the program (taking into account PSYCHOPATHY.COMP length and assessment period)
• Presence of cognitive disabilities (because PSYCHOPATHY.COMP is not suitable for cognitively-impaired youth)
• Presence of psychotic symptoms (the experiential exercises used in the program are contraindicated for psychotic patients)
• Presence of autism spectrum disorders (because PSYCHOPATHY.COMP was not designed considering the social impairments of these youth).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Coimbra: lead

Study Sites (1)

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciencies, University of Coimbra

Coimbra, 3001-802, Portugal

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Sousa R, Ribeiro da Silva D, Petrocchi N, Gilbert P, Rijo D. At the heart of change: Differences in young offenders' HRV patterns after the delivery of the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program. Front Psychiatry. 2023 Jan 10;13:1032011. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1032011. eCollection 2022.

  PMID: 36704737 DERIVED

• Rijo D, Ribeiro da Silva D, Brazao N, Paulo M, Ramos Miguel R, Castilho P, Vagos P, Gilbert P. Promoting a compassionate motivation in detained youth: A secondary analysis of a controlled trial with the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program. Personal Disord. 2023 Mar;14(2):223-236. doi: 10.1037/per0000594. Epub 2022 Jul 28.

  PMID: 35901377 DERIVED

• Ribeiro da Silva D, Rijo D, Brazao N, Paulo M, Miguel R, Castilho P, Vagos P, Gilbert P, Salekin RT. The efficacy of the PSYCHOPATHY.COMP program in reducing psychopathic traits: A controlled trial with male detained youth. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2021 Jun;89(6):499-513. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000659.

  PMID: 34264698 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Conduct Disorder

Interventions

Therapeutics

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Daniel Rijo, PhD

  CINEICC

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 29, 2019
• First Posted: June 3, 2019
• Study Start: March 1, 2018
• Primary Completion: March 31, 2020
• Study Completion: March 31, 2020
• Last Updated: April 27, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-04

Locations

PT (1)