Behavioral Activation Plus Savoring for University Students

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Anhedonia; Mood; Depression
• Interventions: Behavioral: Behavioral Activation plus Savoring; Behavioral: Empathic Listening

• Registration Number: NCT05234476
• Lead Sponsor: Southern Methodist University

Brief Summary

The current investigation aims to examine whether a brief, two-session, virtual behavioral activation plus savoring intervention will increase daily positive emotion in university students.

Detailed Description

Experiences of positive emotions are often unchanged following standard psychotherapy. To address this, the current investigation aims to enhance traditional brief behavioral activation with savoring, an emotion regulation strategy specifically targeting positive emotion, or affect, for university students endorsing low levels of the symptom. Individuals will be randomized to either a two-session behavioral activation plus savoring intervention or two sessions of empathic listening. Daily levels of positive emotions will be assessed throughout the study and for one week prior to and completing the intervention.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2021-09-06
• Study First Submitted: 2021-10-08
• Status Verified: 2022-02
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-02-01
• Study First Posted: 2022-02-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-02-15
• Last Update Posted: 2022-02-16
• Primary Completion: 2022-06-01
• Study Completion: 2022-06-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

• University student
• Own a smartphone
• Positive affect score less than 32 on the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Short Form (PANAS-SF)

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Behavioral Activation plus Savoring	Behavioral Activation plus Savoring	Individuals in this intervention will complete two sessions of behavioral activation, where they will be provided psychoeducation on behavioral models of mood, schedule activities, and discuss barriers to completion. Additionally, they will practice savoring as a cognitive strategy to increase positive emotions with a study therapist.
Empathic Listening	Empathic Listening	Individuals in the active control condition will complete two sessions of reflecting on tracking their mood and empathic listening with a study therapist.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Positive Emotions: Modified Differential Emotions Scale (mDES; Fredrickson et al., 2003)	Change from first session to post-treatment (14 days)	Positive mood, as measured by the mDES, will be collected two times a day. Participants will be asked to rate their level of positive mood in the moment. Positive mood will be collected on a daily basis throughout the study and change in reported positive emotions will be assessed.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)	Change from baseline to post-treatment (21 days)	Change in reported symptoms of positive and negative affect following the intervention
Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21)	Change from baseline to post-treatment (21 days)	Change in self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress following the intervention

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Southern Methodist University; 🇺🇸 Dallas, Texas, United States