Enriching Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy with Emotion Regulation Training in Patients with Multiple Somatoform Symptoms: A 3- year follow-up (ENCERT-3)

• Applicant: Professor Winfried Rief, Ph.D., since 12/2021
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: from 2013 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 223222419

With respect to the large prevalence of multiple somatoform symptoms (MSS) and associated tremendous financial burden for the health care systems, it is important to develop evidence-based treatments demonstrating long-term efficacy. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is the only psychological intervention for somatoform patients with an evidence grade Ia. However previous studies mainly focus on acute effects and rarely include follow-up periods > 2 years after the end of therapy. In the multicentre RCT funded by the DFG we compared CBT enriched with emotion regulation training (ERT) to a conventional CBT for somatoform disorders. Due to empirical findings showing deficits in emotion regulation in patients with MSS we hypothesised that CBT-ERT will be more effective than conventional CBT. The primary goal of this renewal proposal is to evaluate if treatment effects of both interventions can be maintained until 3 years after the end of therapy and if CBT-ERT in comparison to CBT alone result in a stronger improvement of somatic symptom severity and secondary outcomes 3 years after the end of therapy. Inclusion criteria focus on most costly group of patients with MSS and apply latest proposal for classification (DSM-5). Both treatments comprised 20 sessions. Of the originally randomised patients (CBT-ERT: N=127; CBT: N=128) 249 consented to be contacted again for further assessments in the context of the 3-year follow-up. Demonstrating that effects of CBT can be maintained over a period of 3 years would help to establish them as an optimised, sustaining, and economical psychological approach for patients with MSS.

• DFG Programme: Clinical Trials
• Ehemalige Antragstellerin: Privatdozentin Dr. Maria Kleinstäuber, until 12/2021