Clinical Trial: Does an Integrative Neuro-psychotherapy Program Foster the Adjustment in Depressed Stroke Patients? A Randomized Controlled Study.

Study Status: Terminated
Recruit Status: Terminated
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Does an Integrative Neuro-psychotherapy Program Foster the Adjustment in Depressed Stroke Patients? A Randomized Controlled Study.

Brief Summary: This is an intervention study with patients after a non-progressive brain injury who suffer from depression. It will determine whether an integration of neuropsychological and psychotherapeutic techniques and an additional caregivers support program offers benefits to those in the process of coping with the effects of a stroke. The investigators expect the integrative neuro-psychotherapy to be more effective in the treatment of emotional distress reactions following a stroke than the structured solution focused treatment.

Detailed Summary:

Background

A brain injury is one of the most common causes of disability acquired in adulthood. The full extent of the impairment usually only becomes clear during the course of rehabilitation. Apart from the emotional effects of dealing with the impairment, it is also invariably a matter of adjusting to life with a disability. In this phase of realization and coming to terms with their condition, many brain-injured people develop a mental disorder (mainly adjustment disorders with depressive and/or anxiety symptoms). Mental disorders related to adjustment are a significant and often limiting factor in patient rehabilitation. While there is a very extensive body of literature on the diagnosis and treatment of cognitive disorders following a brain injury, research on the diagnosis and treatment of clinical disorders following a brain injury is scarce. There are many theoretical observations in the available literature about ways of dealing with adjustment disorders following a brain injury in order to maximize a patient's rehabilitation outcome. Yet current research, based with randomized studies, is still in its infancy. The main aim of the current project is to close this scientific gap. A key objective of the proposed study is to investigate whether an integration of neuropsychological and psychotherapeutic techniques and an additional caregivers support program offers benefits to those in the process of coping with the effects of a brain injury.

It is expected that the integrative neuro-psychotherapy is more effective in the treatment of emotional distress reactions than the structured solution focused therapy. Moreover, a stronger improvement in acceptance, awareness, quality of life and goal attainment is anticipated in patients who receive the integrative neuro-psychotherapy treatment. A correlation is expected of th
Sponsor: University of Bern

Current Primary Outcome: emotional distress measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) [ Time Frame: after the first 10 sessions (Progress), end of therapy, 6 months after end of therapy (follow-up) ]

Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome:

  • Acceptance measured by the Trier Skala zur Krankheitsverarbeitung (TSK) [ Time Frame: end of therapy, 6 months after end of therapy (follow-up) ]
  • Awareness measured by the Awareness Questionnaire [ Time Frame: end of therapy, 6 months after end of therapy (follow-up) ]
  • Quality of life measured by the WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) [ Time Frame: end of therapy, 6 months after end of therapy (follow-up) ]


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: University of Bern

Dates:
Date Received: December 24, 2009
Date Started: January 2010
Date Completion:
Last Updated: July 8, 2015
Last Verified: July 2015