Talking therapy shows promise for helping foster children handle emotions
NCT ID NCT07674017
First seen Jun 29, 2026 · Last updated Jun 30, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a type of talking therapy called Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children (MBT-C) can help foster children aged 7 to 12 better recognize and regulate their emotions. Thirty children with emotional or behavioral difficulties were randomly assigned to receive 12 therapy sessions or no therapy. The therapy focuses on helping children understand their own and others' feelings. Early results suggest improvements in emotional awareness and regulation that lasted two months.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Mentalization-Based Treatment for Children (MBT-C)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a practical therapy to help foster children build emotional skills and resilience.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small early study with only 30 children, so results may not apply to all foster kids. The control group got no therapy, which may overstate benefits.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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30 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Apr 2024
- Finished
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Oct 2024
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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7 to 12 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * having emotional and behavioral difficulties, diagnosed using the cutoff score of 14 or higher on the carer-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), including scores of 5 or higher on the Emotional Symptoms subscale and 3 or higher on the Conduct Problems subscale. * Aged 7 to 12 years. * Living with foster parents for at least 4 weeks Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of an intellectual disability. * A diagnosed psychiatric disorder documented in the records of the Child Welfare Organization. * Participating in other psychotherapeutic interventions.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Isfahan Welfare Organization
Isfahan, Iran
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.