Reducing Self-Stigma Among Individuals with History of Childhood Maltreatment
- Conditions
- Stigma, SocialChild AbuseChild NeglectHelp-Seeking Behavior
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Video
- Registration Number
- NCT05818228
- Lead Sponsor
- Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc.
- 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.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 685
- 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
- N/A
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Video with Childhood Maltreatment-Related Content Video 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.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Self-Stigma Questionnaire - Follow-Up 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 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 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 Immediately post-intervention Change in treatment-seeking intentions from baseline - higher score indicates higher help-seeking intentions (range of 3 to 12)
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
New York State Psychiatric Institute
🇺🇸New York, New York, United States