CBART: The Reduction of Psychological and Physiological Stress in Women Undergoing IVF

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Psychological Stress; Telomere Shortening; Fertility Disorders; DNA Degradation, Apoptotic
• Interventions: Behavioral: CBART

• Registration Number: NCT03459053
• Lead Sponsor: University of Haifa

Brief Summary

The study is a randomized controlled trial of a cognitive behavioral interventions and an art-based stress reduction treatment protocol (CB-ART) with 100 women, identified with elevated perceived stress, before undergoing IVF treatment; in order to examine its effect on perceived stress, plasma CFD, telomere length and pregnancy rates.

CB-ART is a 6-session treatment protocol that has been utilized with women coping with stress, depression and pain and is effective in reducing these indicators, developed and evaluated by our research team. The treatment protocol emphasizes processing together with the client's recalled image, symptom or memory (ISM) pertaining to a current distressing mental or physical state. CB-ART is a multi-method model that integrates cognitive behavioral interventions and art-based stress reduction interventions. The innovation in this method is the transformation of imagined and drawn images and memories rather than solely verbally discussing their contents. The focus is on changing compositional elements that comprise each image and memory, thus providing a therapeutic venue to reframe and transform stress producing, recalled images and memories and reduce symptoms of perceived stress. Art making is beneficial for eliciting an emotional response and provides a concrete platform to conduct the cognitive processing that initiate change on the paper and then in the mind. Furthermore, the soothing qualities of interacting with art making foster and enhance behavioral relaxation techniques.

Our study population, women with infertility problems, who are designated to undergo IVF treatment and have been identified to have elevated perceived stress scores on the Perceived Stress Scale (above 15) will be randomized and allocated to receive the CB-ART intervention tailored to reduce stress or treatment as usual.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2018-03-02
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-03-02
• Study First Posted: 2018-03-08
• Study Start: 2019-04-16
• Primary Completion: 2021-04-20
• Study Completion: 2021-08-01
• Status Verified: 2021-09
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-09-28
• Last Update Posted: 2021-09-29

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 88

Inclusion Criteria

• Hebrew speaking nulliparous women
• between the ages of 18-35
• without an axis I psychiatric diagnosis

Exclusion Criteria

• Women over 35
• Do not speak Hebrew
• Have an Axis I psychiatric diagnosis that would prevent them from participating in the intervention

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
CBART	CBART	6 weeks participation in CBART protocol before beginning IVF treatment

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Perceived Stress	2 months	The perceived stress scale (Cohen, Kamarck \& Mermelstein, 1994) is a 10 item scale measuring perceived stress by asking 10 questions in which participants are requested to list on a scale from 0- never to 4- very frequently, how often they have experienced different stress related occurrences in the past month. The scale is calculated by summing the items (4 items reversed) with scores ranging from 0 - 40. Higher scores indicate higher perceived stress, with the mean US score being 16.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Cell Free DNA	2 months	DNA particles outside the cell nuclous as found in plasma
Telomerase	2 months	Enzyme related to telomere length, as found in PMBC
Pregnancy	2 months	hCG levels higher than 8 in blood.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Soroka University Medical Center; 🇮🇱 Be'er Sheva, Israel