Reducing Self-Stigma Among Individuals with History of Childhood Maltreatment: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Enrollment
- 685
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Self-Stigma Questionnaire - Follow-Up
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Individuals who report experiencing any kind of abuse during childhood report shame and self-blame, often leading to self-stigma and a reluctance to reveal their experiences and seek help. Such stigma may aggravate the mental health consequences of child maltreatment (CM).
The aim of the proposed study is twofold: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief video-based intervention in reducing self-stigma among individuals who experienced childhood abuse and/or maltreatment, and (2) to increase openness to seeking treatment.
Detailed Description
Prior research suggests that social contact-based interventions are the most efficient way of reducing stigma. This study aims to address self-stigma and empower individuals who self-reported experiencing any kind of abuse during childhood and increase their openness to seeking help, if needed.
A total of 1000 adults with self-report experience of any kind of childhood abuse will be recruited to participate in a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) testing the efficacy of the intervention. Participants will be randomized into one of two arms: 1) A 2-minute video intervention in which a CM survivor (presented by either a female or male actor) shares their personal CM experience and describes how they were able to overcome feelings of shame and self-blame to seek mental health care; or 2) A 2-minute control video using the same actors, but without CM-related content. Both videos will be preceded by and immediately followed by questionnaires assessing self-stigma and openness to seeking treatment. An additional assessment of emotional engagement will be added immediately following intervention delivery. Following the intervention, there will be a 30-day follow-up to examine potential long-term effects.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Other
- Masking
- Single (Participant)
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 80 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Age 18-80
- •US resident
- •Individuals who endorse yes to one of the following items: physical aggression in family or household, emotional or verbal abuse in family or household, sexual abuse or inappropriate sexual experiences, negligence - physical or emotional, mental illness or substance abuse at home, incarceration of family member
- •Fluent in English and able to give informed consent
Exclusion Criteria
- Not provided
Arms & Interventions
Video with Childhood Maltreatment-Related Content
Participants will view a video of an actor describing the story of an individual who experienced childhood maltreatment and how they overcame its effects on their life.
Intervention: Video (Behavioral)
Video without Childhood Maltreatment Content
Participants will view a lifestyle video of an actor describing their day-to-day experiences, without any childhood maltreatment-related themes.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Self-Stigma Questionnaire - Follow-Up
Time Frame: 30 days post-intervention
Change in stigma items from baseline - higher score indicates higher stigma (range of 15 to 60)
Help Seeking Intentions (3 items of the ATSPPH) - Follow-Up
Time Frame: 30 days post-intervention
Change in treatment-seeking intentions from baseline - higher score indicates higher help-seeking intentions (range of 3 to 12)
Self-Stigma Questionnaire - Post-Intervention
Time Frame: Immediately post-intervention
Change in stigma items from baseline - higher score indicates higher stigma (range of 15 to 60)
Help Seeking Intentions (3 items of the ATSPPH) - Post-Intervention
Time Frame: Immediately post-intervention
Change in treatment-seeking intentions from baseline - higher score indicates higher help-seeking intentions (range of 3 to 12)
Secondary Outcomes
No secondary outcomes reported
Investigators
Yuval Y Neria
Director of PTSD team at Columbia University
Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc.