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Feasibility and initial impact of single-session internet-delivered acceptance vs change skills for emotions for stress- and trauma-related problems: a randomized controlled trial

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2023

Caitlin L. McLean Open the ORCID record for Caitlin L. McLean [Opens in a new window] ,
Allison K. Ruork Open the ORCID record for Allison K. Ruork [Opens in a new window] ,
Megan K. Ramaiya Open the ORCID record for Megan K. Ramaiya [Opens in a new window]  and
Alan E. Fruzzetti
Caitlin L. McLean*
Affiliation:
University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA VA San Diego Healthcare System and University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92161, USA
Allison K. Ruork
Affiliation:
University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Megan K. Ramaiya
Affiliation:
University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
Alan E. Fruzzetti
Affiliation:
University of Nevada Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
*
Corresponding author: Caitlin L. McLean; Email: caitlin.mclean@va.gov
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Abstract

Background:

Current psychological trauma-focused interventions have left a gap for individuals who may not be ready for trauma-focused treatment and/or who present with other forms of clinically significant distress, such as subthreshold post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Emotion regulation is a possible transdiagnostic mechanism of change that may promote and maintain some of the varied mental health problems related to trauma exposure.

Aims:

This study examines the feasibility and initial impact of two brief emotion regulation skill trainings targeting different processes hypothesized to reduce trauma-related problems, compared with an active control.

Method:

Subjects (n = 156) were randomized to receive one of three brief internet-based trainings: (1) skill training on accepting emotions, (2) skill training on changing emotions, or (3) stress psychoeducation (control). Participants completed measures of emotion regulation, mindfulness, and affect intensity 24 hours pre- and immediately post-training.

Results:

Results suggested that a brief internet-based skills training programme was feasible and acceptable, with 91.9% completing the training programme to which they were randomized. Results showed that participants in all conditions demonstrated significant decreases in emotion regulation problems over time; yet these improvements did not vary by condition. Participants in the Change condition with higher PTSD symptoms were significantly more likely to have greater increases in positive affect compared with those with lower PTSD symptoms.

Conclusions:

Although the three conditions did not show different outcomes, all three brief internet-delivered trainings were feasible. Results provide direction for future studies to evaluate the delivery of emotion regulation skills in individuals with trauma-related distress.

Keywords

AcceptanceChangeEmotion-focused skillsPsychotraumaStressDialectical behavior therapy
Type
Main
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 51 , Issue 5 , September 2023 , pp. 443 - 458
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies

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