Guided Imagery Training and Self-Referential Processing

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of a guided imagery paradigm for reducing negative ways of thinking about the self. There will be at least 60 participants enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin. Participants will be randomly selected to receive one of two types of trainings, each over the course of two weeks. Participants will undergo the training exercises at home. The training exercises will help them to think differently about themselves.

Participants will be able to determine if they are eligible, and then participate, by filling out a screening questionnaire online.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Depression; Negative Thoughts
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Positive Self-Reference Training; Behavioral: Neutral Training Control

Detailed Description

This study uses a randomized controlled trial to compare two types of guided imagery. One intervention is an active intervention; the other is intended to be inert. These interventions were developed based on extensive research indicating the efficacy of using imagery in depression, and a perceived lack of treatments targeting biased self-referential processing.

This protocol aims to develop a novel intervention which can be used on its own or as an adjunct to existing treatments. Common treatments for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) are diffuse; this paradigm instead aims to specifically target negative self-schema, a part of the cognitive model of MDD. This study focuses on participants with elevated depressive symptoms.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 86
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Austin, Texas, United States, 78703
      • University of Texas at Austin

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 45 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• willing and able to provide informed consent
• elevated depressive symptoms -- i.e., a score above a 13 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD)

Exclusion Criteria:

• N/A

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 Self-Reference Training; Participants in this arm will complete the Positive Self-Reference Training (PSRT).	Behavioral: Positive Self-Reference Training; Participants in this intervention will review a brief psychoeducational video describing the training, and then be given cues every other day designed to practice skills. Participants will then practice visualizing and describing scenes based on these cues. This training will be focused on positive self-referent material.
Placebo Comparator: Neutral Training Control; Participants in this arm will complete the neutral training paradigm.	Behavioral: Neutral Training Control; Participants in this intervention will review a brief psychoeducational video describing the training, and then be given cues every other day designed to practice skills. Participants will then practice visualizing and describing scenes based on these cues. This training will be focused on neutral, non-self-referent material.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in response on the Self-Referent Encoding Task (SRET)	The SRET is a task that asks participants to categorize words as self-referential or not. Its outcomes are focused on behavioral response and reaction time. We have shown that it has good test-retest reliability over the course of one week.	Participants will complete the SRET at baseline, after one week, and after two weeks. Change will be assessed primarily as SRET at two weeks MINUS SRET at baseline.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Depressive Symptomatology	Measures of depressive symptoms will be measured with the CESD, a self-report questionnaire used in the literature to measure levels of depression. This questionnaire has good test-retest reliability, and reliably changes with symptoms.	Participants will complete measures of depressive symptoms at baseline, after one week, and after two weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Texas at Austin
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Justin Dainer-Best, University of Texas at Austin

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Screening Questionnaire

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 17, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 19, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): June 19, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 10, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 14, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): February 17, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 19, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 17, 2017
• Last Verified: July 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Guided Imagery
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Depression
• Other Study ID Numbers: UTEXAS-2016-07-0080

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No