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Adaptation of STEPPS Program for Addressing Emotional Dysregulation and Self-harming Behaviors in Penitentiary Centers

Adaptation of the Systems Training for Emotional Predictability & Problem Solving (STEPPS) Program for Addressing Emotional Dysregulation and Self-harming Behaviors in Penitentiary Centers in Catalonia

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06297460
Enrollment
50
Registered
2024-03-07
Start date
2022-01-01
Completion date
2025-12-01
Last updated
2024-03-07

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Self Harm

Brief summary

The overall objective of this study is to assess the feasibility, within the Penitentiary Centers of Catalonia, of adapting the STEPPS program for addressing and preventing emotional dysregulation and self-harming behaviors through an implementation study.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALSystems Training for Emotional Predictability & Problem Solving (STEPPS)

STEPPS is based on a cognitive-behavioral and skills training approach divided into three major components. The first component (sessions: 1-2) teaches participants to replace misconceptions about the presented issues with greater awareness of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that characterize them. It also helps them identify their own thought patterns driving their behaviors. The second (sessions 3-12) teaches skills to more effectively manage the cognitive and emotional effects of the issues, such as distancing, communication, challenging, distraction, and problem-solving. The third component (sessions 13-19) teaches behavioral skills where participants are encouraged to master habits of healthy eating, sleep hygiene, regular exercise, leisure activities, health monitoring, self-harm prevention, and interpersonal effectiveness. The therapeutic objectives of the three blocks are awareness of illness (1), emotional regulation (2), and behavioral regulation (3).

Sponsors

Centre d'Estudis i Formació Especialtzada Generalitat de Catalunya
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Universitat Jaume I
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Men or women deprived of liberty serving sentences in a penitentiary center in Catalonia. * Presence of self-harming behaviors. * Sufficient understanding and proficiency in Spanish to participate in the STEPPS program. * Sufficient cognitive competence for study participation. * Mental capacity to provide informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

* Inmates under security measures or classified in the first degree of treatment. * Inmates with language difficulties. * Presence of severe pathologies that may hinder study participation. * Inmates with the possibility of imminent release, impending transfers to other penitentiary centers, or pending trial.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Level of emotional and behavioral disregulation of patientsPre-intervention and inmediately after the interventionUsing the Longitudinal assessment of the severity of emotional and behavioral dysregulation (Borderline Evaluation of Severity Over Time, BEST) (Blum et al., 2002), a 15-item questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale (1= none/very mild; 5= extremely) that assesses three areas: the intensity of thoughts and emotions, and negative and positive behaviors.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Type and levels of impulsivity of patientsPre-intervention and inmediately after the interventionThe Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) (Barratt, 1959) is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess impulsiveness in different areas. It consists of 30 items that are scored on a 4-point scale (from rarely or never (1) to always or almost always (4)). The scale measures three aspects of impulsiveness: Attentional Impulsiveness, Motor Impulsiveness, and Non-Planning Impulsiveness.
Suicide risk of patientsPre-intervention and inmediately after the interventionUsing the Beck Suicidal Intent Scale (SIS) (Beck et al., 1979) it is assessed the characteristics and likelihood of a suicide attempt in the present and the past. It addresses circumstances during the attempt, attitudes towards life and death, thoughts before, during, and after the attempt, and substance use. The questionnaire consists of 20 items rated on a 3-point scale (0 to 2).
Self-injury frequency, typology and funcionality of patientsPre-intervention and inmediately after the interventionThrough Inventory of Statements About Self-injury (ISAS) (Klonsky & Glenn, 2009), a questionnaire that explores self-injurious behaviors and is divided into two sections. The first section evaluates the presence and frequency of 13 different types of self-injuries, and the second section assesses the functionality of self-injurious behaviors on a 3-point Likert scale.
Degree of hopeless of patientsPre-intervention and inmediately after the interventionUsing Beck Hopeless Scale (BHS) (Beck et al., 1974), a 20-item true/false scale that assesses individuals' feelings of hopelessness. In this case, it evaluates three aspects of hopelessness: 1. A person's expectations about life; 2. Their feelings about the future, and 3. The loss of motivation.
Perceived level of feasibility by professionalsPre-intervention and inmediately after the interventionFeasibility is measured with the Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM) (Weiner et al., 2017), a measure that encompasses four items designed to measure the feasibility of the intervention, indicating the extent to which the intervention can be successfully executed within the system, using a 5-point Likert scale.
Satisfaction of the intervention by patientsPre-intervention and inmediately after the interventionThe Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) (Attkisson & Zwick, 1982; Larsen et al., 1979) is an eight-item questionnaire that assesses participants' overall satisfaction with the intervention received on a 4-point scale.
Perceived level of adequacy by professionalsPre-intervention and inmediately after the interventionIntervention Appropriateness Measurement (IAM) (Weiner et al., 2017) comprises four 5-point Likert scale items designed to explore the adequacy of the intervention, considering its perceived relevance or compatibility in the given context.
Barriers and facilitators detected by professionals that are influencing the implementation process - Quantitative informationPre-intervention and inmediately after the interventionQuantitative data about barriers and facilitators is gathered thrhough closed-open questionnaire was developed following CFIR guidelines (Damschroder et al., 2009), with reference to the study conducted by Hadjistavropoulos and colleagues (2017). The final questionnaire comprised 41 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (ranging from 1, strongly disagree, to 5, strongly agree), assessing: Intervention Characteristics (7 items), Outer Context (5 items), Inner Setting (14 items), Characteristics of Individuals (8 items), and Implementation Process (7 items).
Level of burnout of professionalsPre-intervention and inmediately after the interventionUsing the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) (Kristensen et al., 2005), a 19-item questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale that measures burnout syndrome, differentiating three sub-dimensions: personal burnout, work-related burnout, and user-related burnout.
Perceived level of acceptability of the intervention by professionalsPre-intervention and inmediately after the interventionThe Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM) (Weiner et al., 2017) assesses acceptability based on stakeholders' perceptions of the intervention's utility or satisfaction across four items on a 5-point Likert scale.

Other

MeasureTime frameDescription
Barriers and facilitators detected by professionals that are influencing the implementation process - Qualitative informationInmediately after the interventionSemi-structured interviews conducted to professionals guided by Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) (Damschroder et al., 2009). To guide the development of these analyses, the CFIR served as a framework, assisting in semi-structured interviews and formulating relevant questions based on the five domains that influence the implementation process: (1) Intervention Characteristics, (2) Outer Setting, (3) Inner Setting, (4) Characteristics of Individuals, and (5) Implementation Process (25,33).

Countries

Spain

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: May 13, 2026