Recovery in Telling Life Stories (NCT07082777) | Clinical Trial Compass
Active — Not RecruitingNot Applicable
Recovery in Telling Life Stories
Denmark20 participantsStarted 2025-07-21
Plain-language summary
This project tests the Recovery In Telling Life Stories (RETELL) intervention, aimed at supporting personal recovery in people with severe mental illness (SMI). While many of those with SMI experience symptom control, their quality of life often remains low due to social loss, negative self-perceptions, and identity-related challenges not addressed by standard treatments. Through a process of narrative repair, the RETELL intervention helps participants explore the personal consequences of mental illness while supporting the enhancement of narratives that strengthen identity and foster well-being. The intervention is delivered across 8-12 sessions and will be assessed for feasibility of both the intervention and study procedures. We will also explore its preliminary impact on recovery, quality of life, symptoms, functioning, self-stigma, and personality, using a multiple single-case A-B-A design. We expect the intervention and study procedures to show acceptable feasibility. We further hypothesize that participants' scores on recovery and well-being will be low at baseline, improve during the intervention, and remain higher after the intervention ends and at 3-month follow-up. This study will provide a foundation for future randomized controlled trials.
Who can participate
Age range
18 Years – 65 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion Criteria:
* Adults between the ages of 18 and 65 years
* A self-reported principal diagnosis of one or more of the following: schizophrenia (F20), bipolar disorder (F31), personality disorders (F60), obsessive-compulsive disorder (F42), anxiety disorders (F41), recurrent depressive disorder (F33), eating disorders (F50), hyperkinetic disorders (F90), post-traumatic stress disorder (F43.1), Asperger syndrome (F84.5)
* Not in full recovery (Brief INSPIRE-O \< 50)
* Danish language proficiency
* Medication stabilized (i.e., same type and dosage for a minimum of 8 weeks)
* Ability and willingness to give informed consent
Exclusion Criteria:
* Self-reported diagnosis of mental retardation (F70-79) and/or organic mental disorder (F00-09)
* Psychiatric symptoms, thoughts of self-harm and/or substance abuse of self-reported severity which are likely to prevent one or all of the following: attendance at scheduled sessions, completion of questionnaires before, during and after the intervention, meaningful engagement in the therapeutic process
* Psychiatric hospitalization in the past 4 weeks
* Prior conviction of violent crime
* Currently homeless
* Currently in psychotherapy initiated within the past 6 months.
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1This trial is listed as 'active, not recruiting' — does that mean it's too late to join, and if so, are there any similar storytelling or narrative-based therapy studies I could still be considered for?
2Since this study covers a wide range of conditions including mine, and it's measuring whether the approach is even feasible rather than proving it works, what does that mean for how much is currently known about whether this kind of life-story therapy would actually help me?
3The trial tracks 'personal recovery' as an outcome — can you explain how that's being measured here, and whether that type of goal aligns with what I'm personally hoping to get out of treatment?
4Given that this is a feasibility study focused on dropout rates and satisfaction, would you say the evidence base is mature enough to consider this over a more established therapy option for my specific diagnosis?
5This intervention involves telling life stories and appears to run over multiple sessions with follow-up — is that kind of time commitment and emotional intensity realistic given where I am right now in my treatment?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
What they're measuring
1
Intervention feasibility: Treatment dropout rate
Timeframe: Through intervention phase (T2), between 8-12 weeks
2
Intervention feasibility: Satisfaction with treatment (quantitative)
Timeframe: Post-intervention (T3)
3
Intervention feasibility: Change from pre-intervention throughout the intervention to post-intervention and follow-up in personal recovery
Timeframe: Pre-intervention (T1), intervention (T2), post-intervention (T3) and follow-up (T4)