Piloting a School-Based Distress Tolerance Skills Program for Adolescents

Not Applicable

Active, not recruiting

• Conditions: Distress, Emotional; Internalizing Mental Health Symptoms

• Registration Number: NCT06638853
• Lead Sponsor: Oregon Health and Science University

Brief Summary

Research suggests that an individual's perceived ability to withstand distressing or upsetting emotions (i.e., distress tolerance; DT) is a common risk factor across several mental health conditions that commonly emerge during adolescence. This study aims to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and initial efficacy of a classroom-based DT skills training program for middle school students. This study will also explore associations between changes in DT and internalizing symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression).

Detailed Description

A variety of deleterious mental health conditions have their peak age of onset in adolescence, including depression and anxiety. Distress tolerance (DT) - defined as the perceived or actual ability to withstand aversive emotional states - has been postulated as a transdiagnostic risk factor across several "emotional" disorders that typically emerge during adolescence. Importantly, while there is compelling evidence that DT is associated with emotion dysregulation and symptom severity, it is unclear whether modifying DT can reduce future risk for psychopathology in adolescent populations. This proposal aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a classroom-based DT intervention for middle school students. Additionally, this proposal will examine associations between changes in DT and internalizing symptoms.

Primary Objective:

To evaluate the acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy of a classroom-based DT skills training program for middle school students.

Secondary Objectives:

To examine whether participation in the DT skills training program is associated with lower severity of internalizing symptoms over the course of the academic year.

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2024-10
• Study First Submitted: 2024-10-09
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-10-10
• Study First Posted: 2024-10-15
• Study Start: 2024-10-25
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-03-19
• Last Update Posted: 2025-03-24
• Primary Completion: 2025-06
• Study Completion: 2025-06

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 74

Inclusion Criteria

• Middle school aged-youth attending Valley Catholic Middle School in grade 6, 7, or 8

Exclusion Criteria

• None

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Feasibility	Pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention	Consent rates during enrollment and attrition rates during the study will be used to assess the feasibility of the intervention.
Acceptability	Immediately post-intervention	The investigators will use a brief feedback survey at the end of the study to gather information about participants' experiences of the intervention. Responses on this survey will be used to determine the acceptability of the intervention.
Distress Tolerance	Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up	The investigators will assess change in distress tolerance from pre-intervention to post-intervention. Distress tolerance will be indexed by total scores on the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS), which is a 15-item self-report measure that assesses the respondent's perceived ability to withstand distressing or upsetting emotional states. Possible total scores can range from 15 to 75. Higher scores indicate higher distress tolerance. This outcome measure will be examined and compared for both the intervention group and the control group.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Internalizing Symptoms	Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up	The investigators will assess change in internalizing symptoms from pre-intervention to post-intervention and periodically during follow-up. Internalizing symptoms will be measured using the ASEBA Youth Self-Report (YSR). Possible raw scores on the Internalizing Symptoms Subscale can range from 0 to 62. Raw scores are transformed to standardized T-scores normed by age and gender and can range from 26 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater symptoms. This outcome measure will be examined and compared for both the intervention group and the control group.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Valley Catholic Middle School; 🇺🇸 Beaverton, Oregon, United States