Notre Dame

Researchers are evaluating a family-based intervention program designed to support children and families affected by sociopolitical conflict in Palestine, including the West Bank and Gaza. This study aims to address emotional and behavioral problems related to exposure to chronic violence by promoting family resilience and emotional security. The trial is a randomized clinical trial with 300 families, divided evenly between the West Bank and Gaza, to test the effects of the intervention compared to usual treatment. The study compares a group-based program called Promoting Positive Family Futures PPFF, which includes 8 sessions of about 1.5 hours each focusing on emotional and cognitive awareness, conflict resolution, and family communication, against a treatment as usual TAU condition where families participate in weekly adolescent-only support groups. Both programs are grounded in cultural and theoretical frameworks relevant to the context of Palestine. Participants will be assessed at four points baseline, 10 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention begins. Researchers will measure a variety of outcomes including parental depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, emotional security within the family, adolescent adjustment and prosocial skills, family conflict and cohesion, attachment, emotion regulation, and overall well-being. Data collection is done by trained staff, and the study includes ongoing follow-up to understand long-term effects and treatment processes.

This research aims to assess a brief alcohol-focused intervention tailored for adults with opioid use disorder who are receiving prescribed buprenorphine treatment and currently consume alcohol. The study evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of this intervention and gathers initial data on whether it improves alcohol-related outcomes. The findings will help determine if a larger clinical trial is warranted in the future. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group receives their usual treatment, which includes prescribed buprenorphine and behavioral support focused on medication adherence and preventing opioid relapse. The other group receives the brief opioid-informed alcohol intervention, which combines motivational enhancement therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy principles tailored to the needs of patients in opioid treatment. This intervention is delivered in weekly in-person sessions over four weeks. Participants will be involved for at least four weeks, during which researchers will assess how acceptable and feasible the brief alcohol intervention is. The main measurements are taken at the end of the four-week period. Participants may also undergo behavioral evaluations related to alcohol use and treatment adherence. The study monitors participants responses to the intervention and usual care, aiming to improve outcomes related to alcohol use and opioid treatment retention.

Researchers are studying how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia CBT-I affects sleep and daytime functioning by examining changes in cortisol and the bodys main stress system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal HPA axis. The study aims to find out if improvements in sleep consolidation and duration relate to changes in cortisol and if these improvements differ between those with insomnia and short sleep duration versus normal sleep duration. Participants have chronic insomnia and are divided into groups based on their typical sleep length. Participants will undergo four in-lab visits where saliva, hair samples, and stress tasks occur to measure cortisol and related responses. After initial eligibility confirmation and baseline sleep monitoring with home sleep tests and actigraphy watches for four weeks, they will be randomly assigned to receive either four or ten weeks of weekly CBT-I sessions. Sleep and insomnia symptoms are tracked throughout the intervention and follow-up periods. Throughout the study, participants complete online sleep diaries and wear actigraphy devices to monitor sleep. Assessments at each visit include stress tasks with saliva sampling and hair collection for cortisol. Primary outcomes measured are insomnia symptoms, sleep continuity, total sleep time, and HPA-axis functioning from enrollment through up to seven months, including three months post-treatment follow-up. The study includes close monitoring and multiple evaluations to understand treatment effects and biological changes.

This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a psychoeducation-based program designed to support mental health in families by improving communication and conflict resolution. The study focuses on families with children aged 4 to 17 and examines how reducing stress and enhancing communication can benefit both children and their caregivers. The program is being tested to understand its impact on family mental health and to explore factors that influence its use in community settings. Families are randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the self-study group, families receive written information to review on their own along with weekly contact from a family coach. In the parent-child intervention group, families receive the same self-study materials and coaching calls but also participate in live video sessions with a coach who provides feedback and guidance on communication techniques. The intervention lasts four weeks, followed by assessments to measure outcomes. Participants will complete assessments before and after the four-week program as well as a follow-up one year later. The study collects data through questionnaires that measure strengths, difficulties, depression, anxiety, behavior, and family interactions. Researchers also evaluate organizational factors related to implementing the program. The total participation duration includes the initial assessment, intervention period, post-test, and one-year follow-up to track long-term effects.