Impact of Art Therapy on Alexithymia in People With Alcohol Use Disorder

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Alcohol Use Disorder; Alexithymia
• Interventions: Other: Art Therapy

• Registration Number: NCT04206930
• Lead Sponsor: University Hospital, Angers

Brief Summary

Art therapy support combined with standard care for people with an alcohol use disorder coming to a day hospital for withdrawal could be beneficial compared to standard care alone because it would improve the alexithymia of these patients, helping them to better identify their feelings and / or emotions, and improve their self-confidence, their self-esteem self and their oral communication.

Detailed Description

Alexithymia is an inability to identify and describe one's emotions associated with outward thinking. Frequently found in people with an alcohol use disorder, a true mental handicap, alexithymia has been clearly identified as a relapse factor in addictive problems related to alcohol. The ALEXART study intends to study the evolution of alexithymia in people with an alcohol use disorder hosted in an Addictology Day Hospital unit through the use of an approach non-drug that is art therapy. Our hypothesis is that art therapy can help patients with alcohol use disorders to develop a better understanding of their own behaviors, to name their emotions and feelings, and to improve their communication with others and thereby be able to choose to change their behavior.

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2019-12
• Study Start: 2019-12-13
• Study First Submitted: 2019-12-18
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-12-18
• Last Update Submitted: 2019-12-18
• Study First Posted: 2019-12-20
• Last Update Posted: 2019-12-20
• Primary Completion: 2020-01-07
• Study Completion: 2022-12-13

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 128

Inclusion Criteria

• Adult 18 or over
• Patient with an alcohol use disorder starting day hospital care in the psychiatry and addiction department of the Angers University Hospital
• Subjects who gave and signed informed consent to participate in the study with alexithymia (Toronto Test greater than or equal to 56)

Exclusion Criteria

• Non-understanding of the French language
• Non-affiliation to a social security scheme
• Major cognitive impairment
• Motor problems preventing walking
• Protective patients
• Pregnant or lactating women
• Patients under protection of justice or deprived of liberty
• Patients under protective supervision or guardianship

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Art-Therapy	Art Therapy	in addition to standard treatment, art therapy treatment program: 1 session of 2 hours per week in a closed group for 10 weeks

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Echelle de Toronto (TAS)	3 month after inclusion	self-questionnaire which includes 20 items and allows to measure 3 factors: * Difficulty identifying feelings (TAS 1).; * Difficulty expressing feelings (TAS 2).; * Outward-oriented thinking (TAS 3).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire; 🇫🇷 Angers, France