Role of gratitude in reducing psychological distress and perceived stigma in persons with alcohol use disorder
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN21860790 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN21860790 |
- Submission date
- 27/03/2024
- Registration date
- 15/04/2024
- Last edited
- 02/04/2024
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Alcohol use disorder is a cluster of behavioral and physical problems that can include withdrawal, tolerance and craving. The health burden associated with the consumption of alcohol both in terms of illness and death is enormous. However, alcohol use is pervasive in many parts of the world and remains a major health as well as social issue.
AUD is often associated with psychological distress, a broad term that describes mental and emotional states involving anxiety and depression. Moreover, AUD is considered to be one of the most stigmatized mental health conditions. Perceived stigma refers to the extent to which individuals with AUD believe that others hold negative stereotypes about the condition. Such perceptions often act as barriers to help-seeking among persons with AUD. It is important to research treatment approaches that will effectively help persons with AUD tackle issues such as psychological distress and perceived stigma.
Gratitude is a positive psychological factor that is increasingly being recommended for the promotion of well-being. Studies using gratitude interventions in alcohol recovery programs are sparse. More specifically, the use of gratitude interventions in reducing perceived stigma and psychological distress among people with AUD is not researched. The study, therefore, examines the role of a gratitude intervention in reducing perceived stigma and psychological distress among people with AUD.
Who can participate?
People with AUD newly admitted into a residential rehabilitation center for treatment
What does the study involve?
The study involves participants responding to standardized psychological scales for the assessment of psychological distress and perceived stigma. Following this, half of the participants in each study center are assigned to the experimental group and are given the gratitude intervention which involves listing things that they are grateful for three times a week for 3 months. The remaining half of the participants in each study center are not given the intervention.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Because gratitude has been found to have a number of benefits, it is expected that it will reduce psychological distress and perceived stigma which is believed to contribute to the recovery process. The study does not involve the use of any procedure that has any foreseeable risks.
Where is the study run from?
Nagaland University (India)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
October 2022 to December 2023
Who is funding the study?
The Indian Council of Social Science Research (India)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Imlisongla Longkumer, imlisongla@nagalanduniversity.ac.in
Contact information
Public, Scientific, Principal Investigator
Department of Psychology
Nagaland University
Kohima Campus
Meriema-797004
Nagaland
Kohima
797004
India
 ORCID ID |
0009-0006-8606-9368 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +91 (0)9402697023 |
| imlisongla@nagalanduniversity.ac.in |
Study information
| Study design | Interventional randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study setting(s) | Other |
| Study type | Treatment |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use the contact details to request a participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Psychological distress and perceived stigma in persons with alcohol use disorders: Role of gratitude intervention |
| Study acronym | PDPS:GI |
| Study objectives | Hypothesis 1: Psychological distress in persons with alcohol use disorder will be lesser in the experimental group than in the control group following gratitude intervention. Hypothesis 2: Perceived stigma in persons with alcohol use disorder will be lesser in the experimental group than in the control group following gratitude intervention. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 02/03/2023, Department Ethics Committee, Department of Psychology, Nagaland University (Kohima Campus, Meriema, Kohima, 797004, India; +91 (0)9856648055; psychology@nagalanduniversity.ac.in), ref: No.NU/PSY/ETHICS-23/04 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Psychological distress and perceived stigma of persons with alcohol use disorder |
| Intervention | The study uses an experimental group-control group pre-test post-test design. Participants are recruited from five rehabilitation centers. At each center, individuals who meet the inclusion criteria are recruited. A baseline measure is obtained. Participants are then randomly assigned to the two treatment conditions at random. The intervention period is for 3 months. Participants in the experimental group receive the gratitude intervention. Those in the control group are not given the intervention. The gratitude intervention used in the study involves participants listing things that they are grateful for (any number) three times (days) in a week. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure | 1. Psychological distress is measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10) at baseline (pre-test) and 3 months (post-test) 2. Perceived stigma is measured using the Perceived Stigma of Substance Abuse Scale (PSAS) at baseline (pre-test) and 3 months (post-test) |
| Secondary outcome measures | Demographic variables assessed using the participant information sheet at baseline: 1. Years of initiation of alcohol use 2. Age 3. Religious activity 4. Marital status 5. Employment status |
| Overall study start date | 07/10/2022 |
| Completion date | 15/12/2023 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Upper age limit | 60 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | Minimum 30 |
| Total final enrolment | 37 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. A diagnosis of alcohol use disorder 2. Consents to participate 3. Newly admitted to the facility |
| Key exclusion criteria | Presence of psychiatric comorbidity |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/07/2023 |
| Date of final enrolment | 31/08/2023 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- India
Study participating centres
Kohima
797001
India
Kohima
797001
India
Dimapur
797112
India
Dimapur
797112
India
Dimapur
797112
India
Sponsor information
Research council
JNU Institutional Area
Aruna Asaf Ali Marg
New Delhi
110067
India
| Phone | +91 (0)8011 26716690 |
|---|---|
| rpdivision@icssr.org | |
| Website | https://www.icssr.org/ |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/009axkg17 |
Funders
Funder type
Research council
Government organisation / National government
- Alternative name(s)
- भारतीय सामाजिक विज्ञान अनुसंधान परिषद, ICSSR
- Location
- India
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 31/07/2024 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Plans for publication in a psychology/medical journal |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study will be available upon request from Imlisongla Longkumer (imlisongla@nagalanduniversity.ac.in). A scanned sample copy of a few completed questionnaires (with names hidden) can be shared upon request. The researcher has obtained written consent from all participants. Participants were assured of anonymity and confidentiality. |
Editorial Notes
27/03/2024: Study's existence confirmed by the Department Ethics Committee, Department of Psychology, Nagaland University.
