Positive Psychology for Mood Disorders (PPBPAD)

Trial of a Positive Psychology Intervention to Reduce Suicide Risk in Patients With Mood Disorders

The investigators are doing this study to see if "positive psychology" can help adults with depression or bipolar disorder.

Positive psychology involves exercises-short tasks-that try to increase good feelings and emotions, like optimism, happiness, personal strengths, and well-being. Positive psychology exercises might include imagining a bright future, being grateful for good events, forgiving others, and doing kind acts for others.

The investigators want to see if practicing positive psychology exercises after leaving the hospital can increase feelings of hope, optimism, and positive thinking. The investigators are asking you to take part in this research study because you are in the hospital for depression or bipolar disorder.

This research study will compare "positive psychology exercises" to "control condition exercises." During the study, you may take part in control condition exercises instead of positive psychology exercises.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Depression; Bipolar Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Positive psychology intervention; Behavioral: Recollection intervention

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 25
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
      • Massachusetts General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital Inpatient Psychiatric Unit
• Age 18 and older
• Able to read and write in English
• Admission diagnosis of major depressive disorder or bipolar affective disorder (current depressive episode), confirmed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and inpatient chart review

Exclusion Criteria:

• Psychotic symptoms, as assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and inpatient chart review
• Cognitive disorder, assessed using a six-item cognitive screen developed for research
• Primary admission diagnosis of substance use disorder

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Positive psychology intervention; 4-week positive psychology intervention of 1 positive psychology exercise per week. Exercises will include 1) recalling 3 good events, 2) writing a letter of thankfulness, 3) using a personal strength, 4) envisioning a best possible future.	Behavioral: Positive psychology intervention
Active Comparator: Recollection intervention; 4-week recollection intervention of 1 recollection exercise per week. Exercises will include recalling events related to 1) daily activities, 2) health, 3) social life, 4) morning and evening.	Behavioral: Recollection intervention

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Feasibility of positive psychology exercises	Feasibility will be measured by: Completion rate of exercises; Ease of exercises (rated on a 5-point scale); Helpfulness of exercises (rated on a 5-point scale)	8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Impact of positive psychology exercises on positive affect	Positive affect will be measured by: Optimism score on the Life Orientation Test-Revised (scores range from 3 to 30, with higher scores indicating higher levels of optimism); Gratitude score on the Gratitude Questionnaire-6 (scores range from 6 to 42, with higher scores indicating higher levels of gratitude); Positive emotion score on the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (scores range from 10 to 50, with higher scores indicating higher levels of positive emotion)	8 weeks
Impact of positive psychology exercises on negative affect	Negative affect will be measured by: Hopelessness scores on the Beck Hopelessness Scale (scores range from 0 to 20, with higher scores indicating higher levels of hopelessness).; Suicidal ideation scores on the Concise Health Risk Tracking scale (scores range from 12 to 60, with higher scores indicating higher levels of suicidal ideation); Depression scores on the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report (scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores indicating higher levels of depression)	8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 10, 2016
• Study Completion (Actual): June 10, 2016

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 25, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 27, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): March 28, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 5, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 1, 2017
• Last Verified: September 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Depression; Positive psychology; Bipolar disorder
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Mental Disorders; Pathologic Processes; Bipolar and Related Disorders; Depression; Disease; Bipolar Disorder; Mood Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2012P002294