Promoting Positive Emotions in Adolescents Using Positive Events Training: An Indicated Approach

Official title

Promoting Positive Emotions in Adolescents Using Positive Event Training: An Indicated Approach (iPET)

Overview

Research shows that high positive emotionality is an essential ingredient in building resilience in youngsters, especially those with a vulnerability to develop depressive symptomatology. It may empower them against actual depression and its various long-term adverse outcomes. One way to achieve positive emotions is via the recollection and anticipation of specific positive events. Therefore, to cultivate positive emotions in young people, a user-friendly group training program was developed, translated from basic research findings: Positive Event Training (PET). Through PET, adolescents learn to solidify positive memories and positive plans for the future. In this project, a comprehensive evaluation of PET's efficacy is conducted using a robust methodology with vulnerable youth.

Interventions

• Behavioral Positive Events Training (PET)
  Positive Event Training or PET is a group-based training program combining Memory Specificity Training (MEST; Raes, 2007) and Future Event Specificity Training (FEST; Dutch version of Hallford et al. (2020): Changing the Future: An initial test of Future Specificity Training).

Primary outcome measures

• Daily-life positive emotions measured via daily diary items at post-training (adapted from Kirtley et al., 2022) [Time frame: Measured via nine days of daily diaries (2x/day) immediately after the training (i.e., four weeks after the baseline assessment)]
• Daily-life positive emotions measured via daily diary items at follow-up (adapted from Kirtley et al., 2022) [Time frame: Measured via nine days of daily diaries (2x/day) after two/three months of follow-up after the post-training assessment]
• Daily-life anhedonia measured via daily diary items at post-training (adapted from Bogaert et al., 2023) [Time frame: Measured via nine days of daily diaries (2x/day) immediately after the end of the training (i.e., four weeks after the baseline assessment)]
• Daily-life anhedonia measured via daily diary items at follow-up (adapted from Bogaert et al., 2023) [Time frame: Measured via nine days of daily diaries (2x/day) after two/three months of follow-up after the post-training assessment]
• Daily-life dampening measured via daily diary items at post-training (adapted from Gérardy et al., in preparation; simplified to better fit target group of adolescents) [Time frame: Measured via nine days of daily diaries (2x/day) immediately after the end of the training (i.e., four weeks after the baseline assessment)]
• Daily-life dampening measured via daily diary items at follow-up (adapted from Gérardy et al., in preparation; simplified to better fit target group of adolescents) [Time frame: Measured via nine days of daily diaries (2x/day) after two/three months of follow-up after the post-training assessment]
• Daily-life savoring measured via daily diary items at post-training (adapted from Gérardy et al., in preparation; simplified to better fit target group of adolescents) [Time frame: Measured via nine days of daily diaries (2x/day) immediately after the end of the training (i.e., four weeks after the baseline assessment)]
• Daily-life savoring measured via daily diary items at follow-up (adapted from Gérardy et al., in preparation; simplified to better fit target group of adolescents) [Time frame: Measured via nine days of daily diaries (2x/day) after two/three months of follow-up after the post-training assessment]
• Daily-life emotional distress measured via daily diary items at post-training (derived from Bogaert et al., 2023) [Time frame: Measured via nine days of daily diaries (2x/day) immediately after the end of the training (i.e., four weeks after the baseline assessment)]
• Daily-life emotional distress measured via daily diary items at follow-up (derived from Bogaert et al., 2023) [Time frame: Measured via nine days of daily diaries (2x/day) after two/three months of follow-up after the post-training assessment]

Secondary outcome measures (12)

• Episodic future thinking features measured via the Episodic Future Thinking Test (EFT-T; Hallford et al., 2019), and single item rating scales per generated event at post-training [Time frame: Measured immediately after the end of the training (i.e., four weeks after the baseline assessment)]
• Episodic future thinking features measured via the Episodic Future Thinking Test (EFT-T; Hallford et al., 2019), and single item rating scales per generated event at follow-up [Time frame: Measured after two/three months of follow-up after the post-training assessment]
• Autobiographical memory features measured via the Autobiographical Memory (AM) Test (AMT; Raes, Williams, & Hermans, 2009) and single item rating scales per generated event at post-training [Time frame: Measured via self-report scales immediately after the end of the training (i.e., four weeks after the baseline assessment)]
• Autobiographical memory features measured via the Autobiographical Memory (AM) Test (AMT; Raes, Williams, & Hermans, 2009) and single item rating scales per generated event at follow-up [Time frame: Measured after two/three months of follow-up after the post-training assessment]
• Positive Affect subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Scales (PANAS; Watson et al., 1988) at post-training [Time frame: Measured immediately after the end of the training (i.e., four weeks after the baseline assessment)]
• Positive Affect subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Scales (PANAS; Watson et al., 1988) at follow-up [Time frame: Measured via self-report scales after two/three months of follow-up after the post-training assessment]
• Leuven Anhedonia Scale (LASS, 2nd version; Nelis et al., 2018) at post-training [Time frame: Measured immediately after the end of the training (i.e., four weeks after the baseline assessment)]
• Leuven Anhedonia Scale (LASS, 2nd version; Nelis et al., 2018) at follow-up [Time frame: Measured via self-report scales after two/three months of follow-up after the post-training assessment]
• Dampening measured via the Leuven Exeter Dampening Scale (LEDS, Bogaert et al., 2025) at post-training [Time frame: Measured immediately after the end of the training (i.e., four weeks after the baseline assessment)]
• Dampening measured via the Leuven Exeter Dampening Scale (LEDS, Bogaert et al., 2025) at follow-up [Time frame: Measured after two/three months of follow-up after the post-training assessment]
• Savoring measured via the Savoring Subscale of the Four-Factor Model of the Abridged Ways Of Savoring Checklist (WOSC) in Response to Everyday Events (Original scale Bryant and Vernoff, 2007; Four-Factor Model Chadwick, 2012) at post-training [Time frame: Measured immediately after the end of the training (i.e., four weeks after the baseline assessment)]
• Savoring measured via the Savoring Subscale of the Four-Factor Model of the Abridged Ways Of Savoring Checklist (WOSC) in Response to Everyday Events (Original scale Bryant and Vernoff, 2007; Four-Factor Model Chadwick, 2012) at follow-up [Time frame: Measured after two/three months of follow-up after the post-training assessment]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• 12-16 years (age)
• moderate level of baseline depressive symptoms Exclusion Criteria: /

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

N/A

Model

Single group

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Prevention

Study locations

Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07288541 · G051625N

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗