Emotion Processing and Regulation in People With Intellectual Disability

Sponsor
Karolinska Institutet
Study ID
NCT06894264
Status
Not Yet Recruiting

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Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 45 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Emotion regulation — BEHAVIORAL
    The intervention is an adapted version of skills training that stems from DBT. The text has been simplified, and illustrations have been added to facilitate learning. It consists of nine skill-systems that are delivered during 24 weeks, one group session and individual therapy session per week. A licensed psychologist is responsible for each individual treatment. Care givers or relatives are given support and encouraged to participate and help the study participant to complete their homework assignments.

Study Details

BACKGROUND Intellectual disability (ID) is neurodevelopmental disorder with social impairments, in areas such as interpersonal communication skills and emotion regulation. This overlaps with disabilities associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Differences in emotion processing, specifically emotion recognition, reappraisal, and reinforcement learning, has not been compared between patients with ID and ASD. Despite difficulties in emotion regulation among patients with ID, there is a lack of adapted psychotherapy for this patient group. AIMS * To examine differences in emotion processing in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) compared to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developed individuals. * To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of an adapted psychotherapeutic intervention to improve emotion regulation in individuals with ID. Data and method The first research question is addressed through a cross-sectional study involving 160 participants: 40 individuals with ID, 40 individuals with ASD, and 80 typically developed controls. Participants will undergo psychological experiments where the investigator simultaneously measure eye movement and pupil dilation using an eye-tracker. To investigate different aspects of social cognition, the investigator will use three psychological experiments: emotion recognition, emotion reappraisal, and reinforced learning in a social context. Differences in social cognition are subsequently used in predictive models to predict the group affiliation of study participants. To evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of an adapted emotion regulation treatment based on Dialectic Behavioral Therapy skills system (DBT-SS), the 40 study participants with ID will undergo a manual-based psychotherapy. The treatment consists of 24 group and individual sessions over 24 weeks. The treatment includes nine skill-systems. Outcome measures are administered at baseline, post-treatment, and at a 6-month follow-up. SOCIETAL RELENVANCE This research addresses a significant knowledge gap in social cognition and mental health in individuals with ID. The results may lead to a better understanding of differences in social cognition compared to individuals with ASD, and effective, targeted interventions for emotion regulation in individuals with ID. In the long run, the treatment could help reduce off-label prescription of antipsychotics to manage behavioral deviations in individuals with ID, as challenging behaviors often stem from difficulties with emotion regulation. PROJECT REALISATION The research group consists of an interdisciplinary composition of experts in neuropsychology, experimental psychology, and implementation of psychotherapeutic research. The project has obtained ethical approval and follows the principles of open science, with pre-registration of study protocols.

Key Dates

First listed
Mar 25, 2025
Start date
Aug 15, 2026
Status verified
Mar 2026
Primary completion
Sep 30, 2028
Completion
Dec 30, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment
40 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: Emotion regulation
    DBT-SS

Primary Outcome Measure

Difficulties in emotion regulation scale (DERS-SF) [ Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 24 weeks ]

Central Contacts

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