Parent Management Training to Treat Irritability

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, DENVER · Aug 25, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring a type of therapy called Parent Management Training (PMT) to help children who struggle with irritability, like having frequent temper tantrums or anger outbursts. The study aims to include 18 children aged 3 to 12 years who show significant irritability, and it will involve their parents or guardians in the treatment process. Researchers want to see if PMT can effectively reduce irritability and will measure the children's physiological responses during a task designed to frustrate them, both before and after the training sessions.

To be eligible for the study, children must have noticeable irritability and their parent or guardian must be willing to participate in the treatment. However, children with severe psychiatric issues, such as being a danger to themselves or others, or those currently experiencing serious trauma, are not eligible. Participants can expect to take part in a structured training program alongside their parents, which will help manage their irritability. This trial is currently recruiting, and it aims to gather important information that could shape future treatments for children with similar challenges.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • clinically significant irritability (Clinician Affective Reactivity Index 30 or greater)
• • parent or guardian willing to participate in treatment with the child
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • psychiatric instability (danger to self/others, risky substance abuse)
• • current active Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or a severe active stressor (e.g. child abuse)
• • history of severe psychopathology with an established alternate treatment (e.g. autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, intellectual disability)
• • general medical condition that may be driving irritability or prevent generalizable physiologic measures.
• • screen positive for an intellectual disability via Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence Second Edition (WASI II) estimated Intelligence Quotient (IQ)\<70.