Troubled-Desire & Therapeutic Chat for Reduction of CSAM Use (TD-CHAT)

NCT06852443 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: 8000502101
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 180
• Locations: 2 countries
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The goal of this prospective multicentred, stratified, parallel-group superiority study is to prevent and reduce the usage of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) by a Therapist Chat Service (TCS) and Selfhelp Platform for Self-Referred Patients, mostly men with a sexual interest in children. The interventions are based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles and designed to treat the sexual behavioral disorder related with CSAM consumption.

1. 1.Participants in the Selfhelp modules group will show a statistically significantly higher proportion of reduction in CSAM behaviours four weeks after baseline, as compared to participants in the waitlist control group.
2. 2.Participants in the Selfhelp modules followed by TCS group will show a statistically significantly higher reduction of CSAM behaviours compared to participants in the Selfhelp-only and TCS-only groups, post-intervention.

Conditions

Prevention; Well Being; Sexual Behavior; Behavior Change; Behavior Problems; Behavior Change Interventions; Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) Consumption; Behavioral Disorder; Online Behaviour

Keywords

Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) consumption; CSAM; Child Sexual Abuse; Digital online intervention; CSA; CBT; iCBT; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; Pedophilia; chat Intervention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Reduction in Child Sexual Abuse Material (RCSAM) severity

  A) Reduction in Child Sexual Abuse Material severity (RCSAM severity): A reduction in CSAM severity in the last 2 weeks, defined as the pre-post difference in highest "Combating Paedophile Information Networks in Europe" (COPINE) scale scores, with a reduction from severity levels 4 or higher to levels 3 or lower after the intervention.

  every 2 weeks for 12 weeks after onboarding

• Reduction in Child Sexual Abuse Material (RCSAM) time

  B) Reduction in Child Sexual Abuse Material time (RCSAM time): A 50% or greater decrease in CSAM consumption time (minutes) over the past 2 weeks. CSAM time is measured as the time (in minutes) spent consuming CSAM materials over the past 2 weeks.

  every 2 weeks for 12 weeks after onboarding

• Reduction in Child Sexual Abuse Material (RCSAM) risk

  C) Reduction in self-reported risk of Child Sexual Abuse Material use (RCSAM risk): A reduction in self-reported risk of CSAM use (RCSAM risk): A decrease in the risk of CSAM consumption over the last 2 weeks, defined as a pre-post decrease in self-reported risk, as measured using an adapted version of the "Sexual Child Molestation Risk Assessment" (SChiMRA+) Part A.

  every 2 weeks for 12 weeks after onboarding

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Risk of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) consumption

  baseline and 12 weeks after onboarding

• Frequency of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) consumption

  baseline and every 2 weeks for 12 weeks after onboarding

• Mental Wellbeing

  baseline and every 2 weeks during 12 weeks after onboarding

• Total Sexual Outlet

  baseline and every 2 weeks during 12 weeks after onboarding

Study Arms (4)

Selfhelp+TCS

EXPERIMENTAL

Selfhelp modules followed by Therapist Chat Service

Behavioral: Selfhelp modules; Behavioral: Therapist Chat Service

Selfhelp modules

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Selfhelp modules only

Behavioral: Selfhelp modules

TCS only

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

4-6 Sessions text message-based Therapist Chat Service only

Behavioral: Therapist Chat Service

Waitlist

NO INTERVENTION

Participants will remain on a waitlist for the first two weeks without receiving any kind of intervention.

Interventions

Selfhelp modules BEHAVIORAL

16 web-based structured selfhelp modules, based on CBT techniques from the Berlin Dissexuality Therapy (Beier, K. M. (2021). Pedophilia, hebephilia and sexual offending against children. The Berlin Dissexuality Therapy (BEDIT). Springer)

Selfhelp modules; Selfhelp+TCS

Therapist Chat Service BEHAVIORAL

Online Therapy Chat Service (TCS) based on CBT techniques from the Berlin Dissexuality Therapy (Beier, K. M. (2021). Pedophilia, hebephilia and sexual offending against children. The Berlin Dissexuality Therapy (BEDIT). Springer)

Selfhelp+TCS; TCS only

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 99 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adult participant (≥18 years);
• recent (last 2 weeks) CSAM use or past CSAM use and self-reported risk;
• proficiency in English, German or Spanish;
• voluntary participation and agreement to the terms of the study.

You may not qualify if:

• Severe neuropsychiatric comorbidities (unstable psychotic disorder, organic brain damage, diminished intellectual functioning, untreated drug or alcohol addiction);
• history of contact CSA perpetration (past or present);
• ongoing criminal investigation, trial, punishment, or probation status for online or offline CSA or CSAM use;
• current inpatient psychiatric treatment or other concurrent treatment targeting CSAM behaviours

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Charite University, Berlin, Germany: lead
• Universitat Internacional de Catalunya: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlion

Berlin, 10117, Germany

RECRUITING

Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC), Catalonia, Spain

Barcelona, Spain

NOT YET RECRUITING

Related Publications (4)

• Landgren V, Malki K, Bottai M, Arver S, Rahm C. Effect of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Antagonist on Risk of Committing Child Sexual Abuse in Men With Pedophilic Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2020 Sep 1;77(9):897-905. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.0440.

  PMID: 32347899 BACKGROUND

• Merdian HL, Moghaddam N, Boer DP, Wilson N, Thakker J, Curtis C, Dawson D. Fantasy-Driven Versus Contact-Driven Users of Child Sexual Exploitation Material: Offender Classification and Implications for Their Risk Assessment. Sex Abuse. 2018 Apr;30(3):230-253. doi: 10.1177/1079063216641109. Epub 2016 Apr 6.

  PMID: 27052851 BACKGROUND

• Tennant R, Hiller L, Fishwick R, Platt S, Joseph S, Weich S, Parkinson J, Secker J, Stewart-Brown S. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS): development and UK validation. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2007 Nov 27;5:63. doi: 10.1186/1477-7525-5-63.

  PMID: 18042300 BACKGROUND

• Quayle, E. (2008). The COPINE project. Irish Probation Journal, 5(9), 65-83.

  BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Sexual Behavior; Mental Disorders; Pedophilia

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Paraphilic Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Dipl.Des.

Model Details: * Randomized * Multi-centre * Open label * Parallel assignment * Superiority

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 19, 2025
• First Posted: February 28, 2025
• Study Start: April 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: February 28, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2026
• Last Updated: May 7, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

DE (1); ES (1)