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Trial registered on ANZCTR

Registration number

ACTRN12613000640707

Ethics application status

Approved

Date submitted

30/05/2013

Date registered

6/06/2013

Date last updated

3/12/2020

Date data sharing statement initially provided

9/07/2019

Type of registration

Retrospectively registered

Titles & IDs

Public title

The ability of the Australian Centre for Arson Research and Treatment (ACART) firesetting treatment program to reduce psychological risk factors in participants aged 14 years and above who have a history of deliberate firesetting.

Scientific title

The ability of the Australian Centre for Arson Research and Treatment (ACART) Firesetters Program to reduce psychological risk factors for firesetting in participants aged 14 and above who have a history of unauthorised firesetting

Secondary ID [1]

Nil

Universal Trial Number (UTN)

U1111-1143-7670

Trial acronym

Linked study record

Health condition

Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:

Unauthorised firesetting behaviour in people over the age of 14.

Condition category

Condition code

Mental Health

Studies of normal psychology, cognitive function and behaviour

Intervention/exposure

Study type

Interventional

Description of intervention(s) / exposure

The Firesetter Treatment Program utlises cognitive behaviour therapy to address risk factors for firesetting. Participants will work through a number of exercises, with specially trained clinicians, which have been designed to change their thinking patterns, resolve interpersonal issues and increase skills in problem solving, communication, mood management, and self control. The program involves 14-16 sessions of two hours’ duration, and number of sessions is determined by the complexity of treatment needs identified in the assessment phase. Sessions are usually conducted weekly, however the flexibility of the program allows clinicians to vary this regime as required. It is expected that all participants will complete the program within a 20 week period.

Intervention code [1]

Behaviour

Comparator / control treatment

N/A - This is a single group study.

Control group

Uncontrolled

Outcomes

Primary outcome [1]

Primary outcome 1: significant reduction in Identification with Fire Scale (Gannon & O' Ciardha, 2011) score

Timepoint [1]

At baseline and at 18 and 30 weeks after intervention commencement

Primary outcome [2]

Significant reduction in The Novaco Anger Scale and Provocation Inventory (NAS-PI; Novaco, 2003)

Timepoint [2]

At baseline and at 18, and 30 weeks post intervention commencement

Primary outcome [3]

Significant decrease in The Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS; Russell, Peplau, & Cutrona, 1980)

Timepoint [3]

At baseline and at 18, and 30 weeks post intervention

Secondary outcome [1]

Significant reduction in The Boredom Proneness Scale-Short Form (BPS-SF; Vodanovich, Wallace, & Kass, 2005)

Timepoint [1]

At baseline, and at 18 and 30 weeks after intervention commencement

Secondary outcome [2]

Significant increase in The Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory (CFSEI; Battle, 1992)

Timepoint [2]

At baseline, and at 18 and 30 weeks after intervention commencement

Secondary outcome [3]

Significant decrease in scores on The Measure of Criminal Attitudes and Associates-Part B (MCAA-Part B; Mills & Kroner, 1999)

Timepoint [3]

At baseline, and at 18 and 30 week post intervention

Secondary outcome [4]

Significant increase in scores on The Simple Rathus Assertiveness Schedule—Short Form (SRAS-SF; Jenerette & Dixon, 2010)

Timepoint [4]

At baseline, and at 18 and 30 weeks post intervention commencement

Eligibility

Key inclusion criteria

Participants over the age of 14 with a history of at least one unauthorised firesetting incident, assessed as having no significant cognitive impairment or unmanaged serious mental illness at baseline

Minimum age

14 Years

Maximum age

No limit

Sex

Both males and females

Can healthy volunteers participate?

Key exclusion criteria

Under the age of 14, significant cognitive impairment or unmanaged serious mental health diagnosis

Study design

Purpose of the study

Educational / counselling / training

Allocation to intervention

Non-randomised trial

Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)

Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)

Masking / blinding

Open (masking not used)

Who is / are masked / blinded?

Intervention assignment

Single group

Other design features

Phase

Not Applicable

Type of endpoint/s

Efficacy

Statistical methods / analysis

As this is a repeated measures design, a sample size of 50-100 participants has been deemed sufficient to investigate significant treatment effects from baseline to post-intervention using participants' own data for statistical comparisons.
Data analysis will utilise ANOVA to investigate the significant effects of time of assessment (pre and post assessments) on the treatment area of interest (eg fire interest, social competency, anger). Age, and social desirability will also be co-varied out of analysis to control for possible confounds.

Recruitment

Recruitment status

Recruiting

Date of first participant enrolment

Anticipated

Actual

11/04/2013

Date of last participant enrolment

Anticipated

30/12/2021

Actual

Date of last data collection

Anticipated

Actual

Sample size

Target

100

Accrual to date

Final

Recruitment in Australia

Recruitment state(s)

ACT,NSW,NT,QLD,SA,TAS,WA,VIC

Funding & Sponsors

Funding source category [1]

Government body

Name [1]

Commonwealth Attorney General's Departmentl

Address [1]

Robert Garran Offices
3-5 National Circuit
BARTON ACT 2600

Country [1]

Australia

Primary sponsor type

University

Name

Bond University

Address

University Drive, Robina, Queensland, 4229

Country

Australia

Secondary sponsor category [1]

None

Name [1]

Address [1]

Country [1]

Ethics approval

Ethics application status

Approved

Ethics committee name [1]

Bond University Human Research Ethics Committee

Ethics committee address [1]

Bond University
University Drive,
Robina
QLD 4229

Ethics committee country [1]

Australia

Date submitted for ethics approval [1]

Approval date [1]

05/04/2012

Ethics approval number [1]

RO1441

Summary

Brief summary

Studies of the treatment of firesetters are limited, being largely focussed on juveniles or conducted in inpatient psychiatric settings. Consequently, there are currently no standardised treatments for adult firesetters in use in the UK, the United States or Australia. Research indicates that predisposing factors for deliberate firesetting include poor interpersonal functioning and poor communication skills, and difficulties regulating emotion (particularly anger) and behaviour. Less is known about specific fire-related beliefs that contribute to this type of offending, however it is likely that, as with other types of offending, firesetters have specific beliefs that allow them to justify, rationalise and minimise their firesetting that arise from underlying
schemas and attitudes supportive of such antisocial behaviour. Jackson’s model  has previously informed treatment programs for incarcerated mentally disordered offenders, and intellectually disabled firesetters, although both programs are group-based and tailored to specific
settings that are not easily replicated in Australia. The proposed research aims to develop and evaluate a treatment program that can be delivered to an array of firesetters in a variety of settings, and which closely adheres to established  principles of effective offender treatment. Thus it will address the core components relevant to risk of offending generally as well as delivering fire-specific interventions targeted at the hypothesised pathways to arson offending. Both aspects are considered integral to a successful application of risk management and offending treatment for firesetters.
The aims of this project are:
1.	To investigate the psychological and psychiatric characteristics of individuals who engage in deliberate firesetting. 
2.	To develop and trial a psychological intervention to reduce the risk of repeat firesetting.
3.          To examine clinical, attitudinal, behaviour change monitoring as a result of involvment in treatment.

Trial website

Trial related presentations / publications

Fritzon, K., Davey, L., & Doley, R. (submitted) The development of a firesetter treatment program: Operationalizing the multi-trajectory theory of adult firesetting.

Fritzon, K., & Doley, R. (submitted) From theory to practice: an empirical validation of the Multi-Trajectory theory of adult fire-setting.

Public notes

Contacts

Principal investigator

Name

A/Prof Katarina Fritzon

Address

Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, University Drive, Robina QLD 4229

Country

Australia

Phone

+61755952681

Fax

[email protected]

Contact person for public queries

Name

Katarina Fritzon

Address

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Bond University
University Drive
Robina
QLD 4229

Country

Australia

Phone

+61755952681

Fax

[email protected]

Contact person for scientific queries

Name

Katarina Fritzon

Address

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Bond University
University Drive
Robina
QLD 4229

Country

Australia

Phone

+61755952681

Fax

[email protected]

Data sharing statement

Will individual participant data (IPD) for this trial be available (including data dictionaries)?

No/undecided IPD sharing reason/comment

Participants have given consent limited to the current study, and data is sensitive (e.g. pertaining to children under the age of 18 years old

What supporting documents are/will be available?

Doc. No.	Type	Email
9952	Study protocol	[email protected]
9953	Informed consent form	[email protected]
9954	Ethical approval	[email protected]

Results publications and other study-related documents

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