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Differential Efficacy of Guided Imagery Psychotherapy: Non-Inferiority Trial and Exploration of Differential Indication (DE-GIP)

Primary Purpose

Emotional Disorders

Status
Recruiting
Phase
Not Applicable
Locations
Germany
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
weekly, biweekly, or twice a week sessions of face-to-face outpatient psychotherapy
Sponsored by
University of Kassel
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Emotional Disorders focused on measuring depression, anxiety

Eligibility Criteria

18 Years - 70 Years (Adult, Older Adult)All SexesDoes not accept healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Depressive Disorder, anxiety disorder or somatic symptom disorder (with comorbid depressive or anxiety disorder) according to DSM-IV (SCID) as main diagnosis
  • informed consent to participate voluntarily in the study
  • sufficient German language skills

Exclusion Criteria:

  • acute suicidality
  • diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizophreniform, schizoaffective disorders, and/or psychosis NOS
  • bipolar disorder
  • depressive disorder with mood-incongruent psychotic features
  • paranoid/ schizotypal/ borderline/ or antisocial personality disorder
  • severe neurological disorder
  • PTSD with intrusive re-experiencing
  • clinically relevant substance dependence
  • psychopharmacological treatment other than antidepressants
  • other simultaneous psychological treatments
  • organic cause of depression/anxiety or drug-induced depression/anxiety

Sites / Locations

  • University of KasselRecruiting

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm 2

Arm Type

Active Comparator

Experimental

Arm Label

Unified Psychodynamic Protocol for Emotional Disorders (UPP-EMO)

Guided Imagery Psychotherapy for Emotional Disorders (GIP-EMO)

Arm Description

manualized treatment with a focus on core psychodynamic treatment principles; no use of imagery-based interventions.

manualized treatment with regular applications (every 4-5 sessions) of guided affective imagery; the therapeutic work is explicitly focused on the patient's guided imagery.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Anxiety and depression severity as measured by the PHQ-ADS
German version of the Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale [range: 0-48]; higher scores indicate more symptom distress through anxiety and/or depression; non-inferiority margin: d = 0.46 = 5 points in the PHQ-ADS (s. NI specifications in the study description)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Somatic symptom severity as measured by the PHQ-15
Total somatic symptom severity score of the German version of the Patient Health Questionnaire [range: 0-30]; higher scores indicate more symptom distress through somatic symptoms
Quality of life as measured by the WHOQOL-BREF
Overall quality of life score of the German version of the WHO Quality of Life-BREF [range: 0-100]; higher scores indicate better quality of life
Severity of interpersonal problems as measured by the IIP-32
German version of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems 32 [range: 0-4]; higher scores indicate more severe interpersonal problems
Levels of personality functioning as measured by the LPFS-BF
German version of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale-Brief Form [range: 1-4]; higher scores indicate more personality pathology
Levels of Structural integration as measured by the OPD-SQS
OPD Structure Questionnaire Brief [range: 0-4]; higher scores indicate more personality pathology
Self-efficacy as measured by the module "self-efficacy" from the HEALTH-49
Hamburg Modules for the Assessment of Psychosocial Health [range: 0-4]; higher scores indicate less self-perceived efficacy
Difficulties in emotion regulation as measured by the DERS-SF
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Short Form [range: 1-5]; higher scores indicate worse emotion regulation
Alexithymia as measured by the TAS-26
German version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale [range: 26-130]; higher scores indicate lower ability to identify and describe emotions
Utilization of Medical Services and Work Incapacity Periods
German version of the Questionnaire for the Assessment of the Utilization of Medical Services as well as Work Incapacity Periods; higher scores indicate higher associated health care costs and/or more work incapacity days
Clinically meaningful overall improvement as measured by the CGI-I
Therapist-rating of the Clinical Global Impression - Improvement [range: 1-7]; improvement is indicated by scores < 4

Full Information

First Posted
February 15, 2021
Last Updated
September 26, 2023
Sponsor
University of Kassel
Collaborators
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Katathym Imaginative Psychotherapie (DGKIP), International Psychoanalytic University Berlin
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT04765800
Brief Title
Differential Efficacy of Guided Imagery Psychotherapy: Non-Inferiority Trial and Exploration of Differential Indication
Acronym
DE-GIP
Official Title
Differential Efficacy of Guided Imagery Psychotherapy: Comparing Guided Imagery Psychotherapy and Unified Psychodynamic Protocol Therapy for Emotional Disorders in a Non-Inferiority RCT and With Regard to Differential Indication
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
September 2023
Overall Recruitment Status
Recruiting
Study Start Date
February 15, 2021 (Actual)
Primary Completion Date
June 2025 (Anticipated)
Study Completion Date
December 2027 (Anticipated)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Principal Investigator
Name of the Sponsor
University of Kassel
Collaborators
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Katathym Imaginative Psychotherapie (DGKIP), International Psychoanalytic University Berlin

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No
Data Monitoring Committee
No

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
The DE-GIP study compares the efficacy and differential efficacy of two manualized psychodynamic psychotherapies for emotional disorders. The study therefore has two independent aims: A) The first aim is to test the hypothesized non-inferiority (NI margin: 5 points in PHQ-ADS, requiring N = 152 for a one-sided α = 0.025 and 1-ß = 0.80) of Guided Imagery Psychotherapy for Emotional Disorders (GIP-EMO) to the established Unified Psychodynamic Protocol for Emotional Disorders (UPP-EMO). The primary outcome is anxiety and depression severity (as measured by the PHQ-ADS) 12 months after the beginning of treatment. B) The second aim is to assess whether GIP-EMO is more effective for patients meeting the GIP suitability criteria (as measured by the Suitability Questionnaire for Guided Imagery Psychotherapy) than for patients who do not meet these criteria. Furthermore, it will be tested whether GIP-EMO is more effective than UPP-EMO for patients who meet the GIP suitability criteria.
Detailed Description
Background: Guided Imagery Psychotherapy (GIP) is an established therapeutic method in several countries. In addition to applying the established principles of psychodynamic psychotherapy, the GIP practitioner also regularly conducts sessions in which the patient is asked to imagine their own version of a pre-determined motif (e.g., a mountain or a house) and immediately describe it to the therapist. The patient is meant to allow the image to spontaneously develop further, and to experience its sensual properties while remaining in dialogue with the therapist. The therapist aims to guide and deepen the imagery process by asking questions about the patient's bodily and emotional experiencing and sometimes also by suggesting certain courses of action within the patient's imagined scenery. The patient is instructed to draw his imagery in between sessions. During non-imagery sessions, therapist and patient jointly work to understand the patient's spontaneous imagery within a psychodynamic framework and relate it back to the patient's psychological difficulties. GIP is especially aimed at treating patients with depression, anxiety as well as psychosomatic conditions. Design and aims: This is a two-arm randomized non-inferiority trial. In addition, the study is used to explore and test possible differential indications of GIP. Manualized GIP for emotional disorders (GIP-EMO) is tested against the manualized psychodynamic therapy according to the unified psychodynamic protocol for emotional disorders (UPP-EMO) as an active comparator. The aim is to test two independent hypotheses: 1) GIP-EMO is non-inferior (NI margin: 5 points in the PHQ-ADS (d = 0.46) requiring N = 152, α = 0.025, 1-ß = 0.80) to UPP-EMO with regard to anxiety and depression severity 12 months after the beginning of treatment. 2) There is a subgroup of patients for whom GIP-EMO is particularly effective. The investigatorshave developed a therapist-questionnaire (Suitability Questionnaire for Guided Imagery Psychotherapy) to assess potential GIP suitability criteria in the patients of the sample. The investigators expect that GIP-EMO is more effective for patients meeting the GIP suitability criteria than for patients who do not meet these criteria. Furthermore, it will be tested whether GIP-EMO is more effective than UPP-EMO for patients who meet the GIP suitability criteria. Interventions, patient recruitment, and measurements: The interventions in both treatment conditions are regarded as forms of psychodynamic psychotherapy by German legal standards. They are therefore equally eligibly for financial coverage by statutory health insurances. Currently, up to 24 sessions of psychodynamic psychotherapy require only a formal notification to the health insurance. After that, therapist and patient need to file an application for long-term treatment, entailing up to 100 sessions in total. Sessions are in the face-to-face setting and can be weekly, biweekly, or twice a week. The study design does not impose any further requirement regarding treatment length or frequency of sessions. Patients are recruited trough the participating therapists in their private practices. Baseline assessment and eligibility check takes place prior to randomization, that is: after the initial telephone contact between patient and therapist. The assessment includes online questionnaires for the patient and the therapist as well as a SCID interview for the patient. The interviews are conducted via telephone by trained research assistants. For the duration of the treatment, patients complete monthly online questionnaires. After the end of treatment, they complete the same questionnaire every three months. All therapy sessions will be audio-recorded so that treatment fidelity can be assessed by independent raters (Comparative Psychotherapy Process Scale; Process Scale for Imagery- and Trance-Based Psychodynamic Therapies). The primary outcome assessment takes place 12 months after the beginning of treatment and is thus independent of length of treatment or treatment condition. Further follow-up assessments are conducted until 48 months after the beginning of treatment. Non-inferiority specifications and sample size determination: the investigators determined the margins of non-inferiority (NI) based on the recommendation that the threshold for NI be set to the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) of the primary outcome scale. The MCID was determined as follows: in validation studies for the PHQ-ADS, the authors recommend using either a 1-SEM (standard error of measurement) change (3 to 4 points in the PHQ-ADS) or a 2-SEM change (6 to 8 points in the PHQ-ADS) as MCID. As a compromise, the investigators chose 5 points in the PHQ-ADS as MCID for this study, which is equivalent to an effect size of d = 0.46 given the mean SD of 10.87 found across the three samples of the PHQ-ADS validation study. As a result, the investigators accept the non-inferiority of GIP-EMO to UPP-EMO if the upper limit of the one-sided 0.975 CI of the adjusted mean difference between treatments in favor of UPP-EMO is 5 or below. To test the non-inferiority hypothesis at a one-sided 2.5% significance level with a power of 80%, n = 76 patients are needed per treatment condition. The final sample size includes an oversampling to compensate for an expected loss of 15% to the 12-month follow-up. Statistical analyses: the investigators shall use intention to treat (ITT) analysis (including all patients who were randomized), using linear-mixed effect models to appropriately deal with repeated measures, nested data, and missing values. Duration and total number of sessions will be included as covariates and therapists as a random coefficient. The investigators shall also use multiple imputations by chained equations to account for data missing at random in the primary outcome. Additional modified ITT analyses (including only patients who started treatment) and per protocol analyses (including only patients who completed treatment) will be conducted to assess the robustness of the results.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Emotional Disorders
Keywords
depression, anxiety

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Not Applicable
Interventional Study Model
Parallel Assignment
Model Description
Non-Inferiority Trial (NI margin: d = 0.46, required N = 152, α = 0.025, 1-β = 0.80)
Masking
None (Open Label)
Allocation
Randomized
Enrollment
180 (Anticipated)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Unified Psychodynamic Protocol for Emotional Disorders (UPP-EMO)
Arm Type
Active Comparator
Arm Description
manualized treatment with a focus on core psychodynamic treatment principles; no use of imagery-based interventions.
Arm Title
Guided Imagery Psychotherapy for Emotional Disorders (GIP-EMO)
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
manualized treatment with regular applications (every 4-5 sessions) of guided affective imagery; the therapeutic work is explicitly focused on the patient's guided imagery.
Intervention Type
Behavioral
Intervention Name(s)
weekly, biweekly, or twice a week sessions of face-to-face outpatient psychotherapy
Intervention Description
according to the German Psychotherapy Guidelines (Richtlinie des Gemeinsamen Bundesausschusses über die Durchführung der Psychotherapie)
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Anxiety and depression severity as measured by the PHQ-ADS
Description
German version of the Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale [range: 0-48]; higher scores indicate more symptom distress through anxiety and/or depression; non-inferiority margin: d = 0.46 = 5 points in the PHQ-ADS (s. NI specifications in the study description)
Time Frame
12 months after the beginning of treatment
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Somatic symptom severity as measured by the PHQ-15
Description
Total somatic symptom severity score of the German version of the Patient Health Questionnaire [range: 0-30]; higher scores indicate more symptom distress through somatic symptoms
Time Frame
12 and 48 months after the beginning of treatment
Title
Quality of life as measured by the WHOQOL-BREF
Description
Overall quality of life score of the German version of the WHO Quality of Life-BREF [range: 0-100]; higher scores indicate better quality of life
Time Frame
12 and 48 months after the beginning of treatment
Title
Severity of interpersonal problems as measured by the IIP-32
Description
German version of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems 32 [range: 0-4]; higher scores indicate more severe interpersonal problems
Time Frame
12 and 48 months after the beginning of treatment
Title
Levels of personality functioning as measured by the LPFS-BF
Description
German version of the Level of Personality Functioning Scale-Brief Form [range: 1-4]; higher scores indicate more personality pathology
Time Frame
12 and 48 months after the beginning of treatment
Title
Levels of Structural integration as measured by the OPD-SQS
Description
OPD Structure Questionnaire Brief [range: 0-4]; higher scores indicate more personality pathology
Time Frame
12 and 48 months after the beginning of treatment
Title
Self-efficacy as measured by the module "self-efficacy" from the HEALTH-49
Description
Hamburg Modules for the Assessment of Psychosocial Health [range: 0-4]; higher scores indicate less self-perceived efficacy
Time Frame
12 and 48 months after the beginning of treatment
Title
Difficulties in emotion regulation as measured by the DERS-SF
Description
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Short Form [range: 1-5]; higher scores indicate worse emotion regulation
Time Frame
12 and 48 months after the beginning of treatment
Title
Alexithymia as measured by the TAS-26
Description
German version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale [range: 26-130]; higher scores indicate lower ability to identify and describe emotions
Time Frame
12 and 48 months after the beginning of treatment
Title
Utilization of Medical Services and Work Incapacity Periods
Description
German version of the Questionnaire for the Assessment of the Utilization of Medical Services as well as Work Incapacity Periods; higher scores indicate higher associated health care costs and/or more work incapacity days
Time Frame
12 and 48 months after the beginning of treatment
Title
Clinically meaningful overall improvement as measured by the CGI-I
Description
Therapist-rating of the Clinical Global Impression - Improvement [range: 1-7]; improvement is indicated by scores < 4
Time Frame
12 months after the beginning of treatment

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
18 Years
Maximum Age & Unit of Time
70 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: depressive disorder, anxiety disorder or somatic symptom disorder (with comorbid depressive or anxiety disorder) according to German version of the DSM-5 (SCID-5-CV, Beesdo-Baum et al., 2019) as main diagnosis informed consent to participate voluntarily in the study sufficient German language skills to understand the patient-report questionnaires Exclusion Criteria: acute suicidality diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizophreniform, schizoaffective disorders, and/or psychosis NOS bipolar disorder depressive disorder with mood-incongruent psychotic features paranoid/ schizotypal/ borderline/ or antisocial personality disorder severe neurological disorder PTSD with intrusive re-experiencing clinically relevant substance dependence psychopharmacological treatment other than antidepressants other simultaneous psychological treatments organic cause of depression/anxiety or drug-induced depression/anxiety
Central Contact Person:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Christian Sell, Prof.
Phone
+49 30 300 117
Ext
711
Email
christian.sell@ipu-berlin.de
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name or Official Title & Degree
Cord Benecke, Prof.
Phone
+49 561 804
Ext
3630
Email
benecke@uni-kassel.de
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Christian Sell, Prof.
Organizational Affiliation
International Psychoanalytic University Berlin
Official's Role
Principal Investigator
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Cord Benecke, Prof.
Organizational Affiliation
University of Kassel
Official's Role
Principal Investigator
Facility Information:
Facility Name
University of Kassel
City
Kassel
State/Province
Hessen
ZIP/Postal Code
34127
Country
Germany
Individual Site Status
Recruiting
Facility Contact:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Sarah Burow, B.Sc.
Email
diw-kip@uni-kassel.de
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Christian Sell, Prof.
Phone
+49 30 300 117
Ext
711
Email
christian.sell@ipu-berlin.de

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Plan to Share IPD
No
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Differential Efficacy of Guided Imagery Psychotherapy: Non-Inferiority Trial and Exploration of Differential Indication

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