Mindful Positive Reappraisal: a Daily Diary Randomized Controlled Trial

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Brief and cost-effective interventions teaching emotion regulation techniques can be feasibly applied to promote mental health in University students. The tools of mindfulness (i.e., objective awareness and acceptance) and positive reappraisal (i.e., positive re-evaluation of negative events) can mutually benefit one another to promote well-being. The current study explored the effects of a randomly-assigned Mindful-Reappraisal intervention (n=36) compared to Reappraisal-Only (n=34) and an active control (n=36) on university students' daily affect over five days. Time by condition interactions were analyzed with planned contrasts and multilevel growth modelling.

Detailed Description
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The University student lifestyle can lead to heightened stress, anxiety, and burnout. To promote mental health, brief and cost-effective interventions teaching beneficial emotion regulation techniques can not only counteract the negative but also foster positive functioning. The tools of mindfulness (i.e., objective awareness and acceptance) and positive reappraisal (i.e., positive re-evaluation of negative events) can mutually benefit one another to promote well-being. However, there is currently little research testing the viability of brief, self-administered interventions combining training of mindfulness and positive reappraisal. The current study explored the effects of a randomly-assigned Mindful-Reappraisal intervention (n=36) compared to Reappraisal-Only (n=34) and an active control (n=36) on university students' daily affect over five days. Time by condition interactions were analyzed with planned contrasts and multilevel growth modelling.

Official Title
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Exploring Daily Affective Changes in University Students With a Mindful Positive Reappraisal Intervention: a Daily Diary Randomized Controlled Trial

Conditions
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Mental Health Wellness 1

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Self-Administered Mindful-Reappraisal Exercise
* Behavioral: Self-Administered Reappraisal-Only Exercise
* Behavioral: Self-Administered Event Recall Exercise


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Undergraduate students Exclusion Criteria: Not undergraduate students
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Reappraisal-Only Intervention<br>Participants were instructed to independently practice the Self-Administered Reappraisal-Only Exercise in the evening for five days. First, participants recalled a negative event from that day and then followed the positive reappraisal instructions available online. This involved thinking about how one could grow, learn or benefit from the negative event in any way possible. | Behavioral: Self-Administered Reappraisal-Only Exercise<br>* A reappraisal of daily negative events by examining the positive aspects.<br>|
| Experimental: Mindful-Reappraisal Intervention<br>Participants were instructed to independently practice the Self-Administered Mindful-Reappraisal Exercise in the evening for five days. First, participants recalled a negative event from that day and then followed the Mindful-Reappraisal instructions available online. This involved thinking about the negative event in an objective, non-judgmental way, then following the Reappraisal-Only instructions, and closing off with a brief mindfulness breathing technique. | Behavioral: Self-Administered Mindful-Reappraisal Exercise<br>* Combining the practice of mindful acceptance of negative events combined with a reappraisal of the event by examining its positive aspects.<br>|
| Active Comparator: Event Recall Active Control<br>Participants were instructed to independently practice the Self-Administered Event Recall Exercise in the evening for five days. In this condition, participants were only instructed to recall a negative event from that day with no reappraisal exercise. | Behavioral: Self-Administered Event Recall Exercise<br>* Recall a negative event that took place that day.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in Daily Affect | Daily affect was measured with two scales (i.e., positive affect and negative affect) and assessed participants' general affect over the past 24 hours. | Day 1 - Day 5 of the intervention practice days | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Mindfulness, Primary Promotion, Mental Health, Well-being, Positive Reappraisal