Comparison of Positive Psychotherapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy for Depression
- Conditions
- Depression
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Cognitive behavioral therapyBehavioral: Positive Psychotherapy
- Registration Number
- NCT02572921
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Salzburg
- Brief Summary
This study evaluates the effects of the Positive Psychotherapy on depressive symptoms and on happiness compared with regular cognitive behavioral therapy.
- Detailed Description
Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) focuses on increasing well-being and positive emotions rather than ameliorating deficits in contrast to standard psychotherapy.
A lack of positive emotions, engagement and felt meaning are typically viewed as consequences or mere correlates of depression, while the PPT suggests that these may be causal for depression. Therefore building positive emotion, engagement and meaning will alleviate depression.
Thus PPT may offer a new way to treat and prevent depression.
The aim of this study is to compare the effects of the Positive Psychotherapy on depressive symptoms, life satisfaction and happiness in comparison to standard cognitive behavior psychotherapy (regular cognitive behavioral therapy).
60 mildly to moderately depressed patients are randomly assigned to the Positive Psychotherapy group or the regular cognitive behavioral therapy group.
Both treatments (primary intervention group and control group) are conducted in an outpatient group therapy setting with 14 sessions and a duration of 2-hours-per-week in small groups of 6 or 7 patients.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- UNKNOWN
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 60
- Clinical diagnosis of Depression (Major depressive disorder, recurrent: mild to moderate; Major depressive disorder, single episode: mild to moderate; Dysthymic disorder)
- Patients should be between age 18 and 60
- Any current treatment for depression
- Substance related or alcohol related disorder (within the last 12 months)
- Panic disorder
- Manic or hypomanic disorder
- Psychotic disorder * refusal to participate in a 14 weeks psychotherapy treatment
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- FACTORIAL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy Active Control Group (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) Positive Psychotherapy Positive Psychotherapy Experimental Group (Positive Psychotherapy)
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Depressive symptoms (measured by an assessment by others) fourteen weeks The depressive symptoms will also be measured by an assessment by others: the Montgomery Asberg Depression Scale (MADS) which consists of 10 items
Happiness (measured by a self-report-questionnaire) fourteen weeks Happiness will be assessed by a self-report-scale:
the Flourishing-Scale (FS) which consists of 8 itemsHappiness (measured by a self-report questionnaire) fourteen weeks Happiness will be assessed by an additional self-report-questionnaire which consists of 25 items: the Positive Psychotherapy Inventory (PPTI)
Depressive symptoms (measured by a self-report questionnaire) fourteen weeks The depressive symptoms will be assessed by a self - report questionnaire: the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) which consists of 21 items
Life satisfaction (measured by a self-report questionnaire) fourteen weeks Life-Satisfaction will be measured by a self-report-questionnaire consisting of 5 items: the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS)
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Life events six months Also life events will be assessed which happened during the last 6 months before starting the treatment and during the treatment
Clinical Symptoms fourteen weeks Apart from depression also other clinical symptoms will be assessed by a self-report-scale with 53 items: the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI)
Trial Locations
- Locations (2)
Beratungsstelle für Klinische Psychologie, Psychotherapie und Gesundheitspsychologie
🇦🇹Salzburg, Austria
Wagner-Jauregg- Hospital
🇦🇹Linz, Upper Austria, Austria