ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The Unified Protocol (UP) is a transdiagnostic intervention based on emotional regulation for the treatment of emotional disorders. Its application in individual and group formats has been studied worldwide, obtaining similar results to specific protocols but with a lower drop-out rate and improving the cost-benefit ratio, since a larger number of patients can benefit from it. Moreover, the inclusion of digital technologies in psychotherapy aims to improve the accessibility of treatments, especially since the pandemic of COVID-19 that forced the implementation of treatments through teletherapy increasing its use. To date, no studies have been carried out in Argentina on the application of the UP in a group format and through teletherapy. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy of the UP in a group format and through teletherapy in the Argentine population. METHODS: A parallel-group, controlled, randomized trial, with pre-post and repeated follow-up measures intergroup design will be conducted. One hundred eighty patients will be randomized to one of the following conditions: an online, group-based UP intervention or a waiting list. The Beck Depression Inventory-II and the Beck Anxiety Inventory will be used to compare primary outcomes and the Beck Hopelessness Scale, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale, and Multicultural Quality of Life Index will be administered for secondary outcomes at baseline, post-intervention, and 3 months follow-up. Ad-hoc questionnaires will be used to assess patients' experiences and treatment satisfaction. DISCUSSION: The purpose of this trial is to evaluate the efficacy of the online and group application of the UP in the Argentine population, as well as to evaluate the patient's experience and satisfaction with the treatment. It is expected that the findings of this study will be useful in reducing anxious and depressive symptomatology, will allow us to adapt the UP to our culture, and will improve accessibility to treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05275322. Registered on 11 March 2022.
Subject(s)
Anxiety Disorders , COVID-19 , Humans , Anxiety Disorders/therapy , Quality of Life , Argentina , Clinical Protocols , COVID-19/therapy , Treatment Outcome , Randomized Controlled Trials as TopicABSTRACT
Resumen El proceso de regulación emocional está siendo foco de gran cantidad de investigaciones en la actualidad. Se estima que se encuentra asociada al desarrollo y mantenimiento del 75 % de los trastornos mentales del Manual Diagnóstico y Estadístico de los Trastornos Mentales (DSM, por sus siglas en inglés). En esta línea se han estado estudiando en los últimos años, a nivel global, protocolos transdiagnósticos que tienen, como foco de tratamiento, dicho proceso. El objetivo de este estudio consistió en explorar la familiaridad de los profesionales de la salud mental, de hospitales públicos del área metropolitana de Buenos Aires, con el constructo de la desregulación emocional y los protocolos diseñados para el tratamiento de pacientes con dichas características. A su vez, se buscó conocer el grado de acercamiento de los profesionales clínicos a las investigaciones sobre psicoterapias. A estos fines, se diseñó un cuestionario con 40 preguntas de respuestas abiertas y opción múltiple que fue completado por 75 profesionales (psicólogos y psiquiatras) de hospitales públicos del área metropolitana de Buenos Aires. La mayoría reportó conocer el constructo de desregulación emocional, pero al pedirles que conceptualicen un caso diseñado para este estudio muy pocos utilizaron el constructo. En cuanto a los protocolos transdiagnósticos diseñados para intervenir en la desregulación emocional, son muy poco implementados. Por su parte, menos de la mitad reportó haber leído investigaciones empíricas. Los cursos elegidos para continuar la formación son en su mayoría psicoanalíticos y la participación en congresos internacionales es escasa. Se propone la necesidad de fomentar el uso de intervenciones basadas en evidencia en hospitales públicos y la divulgación de protocolos transdiagnósticos con evidencia para la desregulación emocional.
Abstract A substantial amount of evidence regarding comorbidity among mental disorders has been accumulated during the last years. Moreover, it has been identified that there is a great variability within nosological categories. These limitations of categorical systems lead to the development of the transdiagnostic paradigm which contemplates the existence of underlying processes common to different diagnoses. The process of emotional regulation is currently the focus of many investigations. It is estimated that it is associated with the development and maintenance of 75 % of DSM mental disorders. Emotional dysregulation is being studied particularly as a common factor in depression and anxiety, the two most prevalent disorders in Argentina. Related to this, transdiagnostic protocols aiming this process have been studied in the last years at a global level. The Unified Protocol has been developed by Barlow from a transdiagnostic perspective aiming to offer an evidence-based intervention that could be faithfully used in heterogeneous groups. It was created for emotional disorders with a specific focus on emotional dysregulation, contemplating comorbidity and heterogeneity. This makes the Unified Protocol a proper and valid intervention for the most prevalent disorders in Argentina. The objective of this study was to explore the familiarity of mental health practitioners, of public hospitals in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, with the emotional dysregulation construct and protocols designed for the treatment of patients with these characteristics. Moreover, the degree in which clinicians approach psychotherapy research was evaluated. For this purpose, a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried on. A questionnaire was designed with 40 questions (25 with closed answer and 15 with short open answer) that investigated five thematic areas: demographic characteristics, therapeutic approach, knowledge about the emotional dysregulation construct and treatment protocols, knowledge about the transdiagnostic paradigm and approach to empirical research. The questionnaire was completed by 75 practitioners (psychologists and psychiatrists) from public hospitals of the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires. After analyzing the results, it can be said that the most prominent theoretical framework from which practitioners work in public hospitals is psychoanalysis. The most prevalent diagnoses are anxiety and depression and comorbidity is frequent (M = 2.23, SD = .707). When studying the familiarity to the construct of emotional dysregulation, it was observed that even though most of them reported knowing the emotional dysregulation construct (89.3 %), when asked to conceptualize a person with intense and long-lasting emotional distress and difficulty in controlling their behavior and recognizing their emotions, very few mentioned difficulties in the regulation of emotions (13.51 %). Individual format treatment was the most chosen by psychologists for patients with these characteristics (69 %). Psychiatrists reported pharmacotherapy as the most chosen treatment (87.5 %). Group format is not frequently used. In regards to transdiagnostic protocols designed to intervene in emotional dysregulation, they are very poorly implemented. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy was reported to be known by 80 % of the sample, but used by 33.9 %, while the Unified Protocol was referred to be known by 34.7 % and used by 7.69 % of them. On the other hand, the gap between clinical practice and research seems to be wide. Less than half of the practitioners reported reading empirical research (44 %). And the transdiagnostic paradigm is known by 46.7 % of practitioners. When asked to mention the most influential authors in their practice, Freud and Lacan (classical psychoanalytic authors) were mentioned by the majority. The courses chosen to continue their training are mostly psychoanalytic and participation in international congresses is low (10.45 %). These results show the need to look for ways to encourage the use of evidence-based interventions in public hospitals and specifically the dissemination of transdiagnostic protocols with evidence for emotional dysregulation, being emotional disorders the most prevalent.
