Emotional Regulation & Addiction : Impact of In-person/Online Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT) vs Usual Treatment

Summary

In psychiatry, psychotherapy is, along with pharmacotherapy, a major therapeutic intervention. It helps patients better understand their difficulties and informs them of possible solutions. It is systematically recommended in cases of psychiatric disorders, whether or not in combination with pharmacotherapy.

With regard to addictive disorders in particular, few medications are available and psychotherapy is essential. Psychotherapy must be adapted to the severity of the patient's condition and the issues encountered. In cases of impaired emotional regulation, i.e., the ability to respond effectively to one's emotions, addictions become more difficult to stabilize without appropriate treatment. For patients with emotional regulation disorders, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is the standard treatment. It consists of teaching acceptance and change skills in a dialectical manner to better regulate emotions.

Like other evidence-based psychotherapies, DBT is nevertheless not widely available. It requires therapists to have a high level of training and sufficient patient recruitment to form groups. Two solutions are being considered to improve the accessibility of DBT. To facilitate patient recruitment, transdiagnostic groups are useful because they bring together patients with different diagnoses. To help professionals deliver the therapy, digital tools such as pre-recorded videos or mobile applications have proven effective, particularly when guided by a therapist, but they also show some effectiveness without a therapist. Studies are still recent and few in number, and need to be replicated, particularly using a variety of digital tools.

The investigators want to evaluate the effectiveness of DBT on emotional regulation and impulsivity in addiction patients, in a transdiagnostic face-to-face format and in an online format using videos, compared to a control group (usual treatment). This research would provide a better understanding of the effectiveness of DBT in addiction treatment, as well as the effectiveness of solutions that improve its accessibility, such as the transdiagnostic format and the use of associated digital tools.

Conditions

• Addiction Disorders
• Emotional Dysregulation

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Face-to-face DBT

One therapy session per week for two 3-month periods, to learn and practice emotional regulation skills.

BEHAVIORAL

Online DBT

Two 3-months periods, consisting of watching a video on an emotional regulation skill and completing a worksheet related to that skill. In addition, participants will be encouraged to regularly use mobile apps on emotional regulation.

BEHAVIORAL

Usual treatment

Consultations in the addiction treatment department at a frequency deemed clinically necessary by the professional providing follow-up care. Occupational group therapy (discussion groups, writing, etc.) is usually offered to patients, who may participate as they wish.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Amaury Durpoix · Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-01-31

Primary Completion

2030-04-30

Completion

2030-04-30

Countries

• France

Study Locations