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Characterization of Mentalization Profiles Related to Emotional Regulation Among Teenagers With Behavioral Disorders

Not Applicable
Not yet recruiting
Conditions
Adolescent Behavior Disorder
Eye Movements
Interventions
Behavioral: Mentalisation
Registration Number
NCT05820581
Lead Sponsor
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besancon
Brief Summary

Behavioral disorders in adolescents are defined by a set of diverse behaviors (such as aggressiveness, agitation, clastic crisis, running away and endangerment) whose common characteristic is the predominance of action/ mentalization. These disorders are associated with significant morbidity and high mortality linked to a high rate of suicide or attempted suicide. Behavioral disorders are also associated with an alteration of mentalizing capacities, that is the psychic process by which the adolescent imagines and interprets his behavior and that of others on the basis of mental states such as needs, desires, beliefs or feelings. The disorders are also associated with emotional dysregulation. To date, the psychopathological processes underlying behavioral disorders in adolescents are unknown and prevent from offering appropriate psychological care. Thus, it seems essential to characterize this clinical population by integrating both its intrapsychic representations and the physiological parameters of emotional regulation associated with it.

This project is a first step towards a larger-scale research project aimed at evaluating treatment by TBM (therapies based on mentalization) in adolescents with behavioral disorders.

Detailed Description

Behavioral disorders in adolescents are defined by a set of behaviors (such as aggressiveness, agitation, clastic crisis, running away and endangerment) whose common characteristic is the predominance of action over mentalization and opposition to normal socialization processes.

These disorders are associated with significant morbidity and high mortality linked to a high rate suicide or attempted suicide. Behavioral disorders in adolescence are linked to defects of mentalization (i.e. the psychic process by which the adolescent imagines and interprets his behaviors and to alterations in emotional regulation capacities. This emotional dysregulation has several components, including motor and physiological components. Moreover, this dysregulation is constructed in a dynamic process linked to the environment, including the adolescent's relationship with parents. To date, the psychopathological processes underlying behavioral disorders in the teenager are unknown, which prevents from offering appropriate psychological care. Thus, it seems essential to characterize adolescents behavior, by integrating both mentalizing capacities, the physiological parameters of their emotional regulation and the interactive patterns with their parents. This approach allow to overcome the difficulty of adolescents to use words to express what they feel and thus to understand their psychic functioning and the strategies, which they put in place to regulate their emotions.

This study is a monocentric cross-sectional descriptive observational study.

Objectives of this study is to describe the mentalization profiles of adolescents with mental disorders behavior and to evaluate:

* Oculomotor parameters of emotional regulation

* Physiological parameters of emotional regulation (Electrodermal Activity, RED)

* Self-assessed mentalizing abilities (RFQ-Y scale)

* Emotional regulation (DERS scale)

* The emotional and behavioral functioning of adolescents (YSR scale)

* Attachment characteristics of adolescents (ARSQ scale)

* The interactions of the adolescent with his parent (GPACS scale)

* Parental reflexive capacities (RFQ scale). This research was developed to support a comprehensive understanding of adolescent processes with the integration of bio-neuro-social parameters.

The aim of this study is to establish mentalization profiles of the clinical population of adolescents with behavioral disorders and their neurophysiological correlates of emotional regulation.

These first data are essential for a better understanding of this clinical population and a starting point for future research; particularly to develop therapies based on mentalization in this population and to evaluate their effectiveness.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
65
Inclusion Criteria
  • Teenage girls or boys aged 12 to 17
  • Adolescent(s) with externalized behavioral disorder(s):

running away, suicide attempts, self-aggression (scarification, self-mutilation), taking drugs, hetero-aggressive behavior, theft, conduct disorders sexual, oppositional behavior, lies, clastic anger.

  • Non-objection of the adolescent to participate in the study.
  • Written consent of the two holders of parental authority
Exclusion Criteria
  • Intellectually disabled
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Psychotic disorder

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
MentalisationMentalisation4 mentalisation groups will be defined: hypomentalisation, hypermentalisation, mentalisation correct and lack of mentalisation
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
eye fixation duration evaluated with eyes tracker12 months

fixation duration (time in millisecond)

eye dwell time evaluated with eyes tracker12 months

dwell time (time in millisecond)

eye fixation count evaluated with eyes tracker12 months

fixation count ( time in millisecond)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
MASC Score12 months

Mentalization score

GPACS interaction evaluation12 months

General Practitioner Attitudes and Confidence Scale is a tool to measure confidence and attitude.

ARSQ score12 months

Adolescent relationship scale questionnaire

parent's RFQ score12 months

Reflective Functioning Questionnaire for parents

YSR score12 months

youth self report score

RFQ-Y score12 months

Reflective Function Questionnaire for Youth

DERS score12 months

Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

CHU de Besançon

🇫🇷

Besançon, France

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