Clinical trial NCT04539756: Writing Activities and Emotions
Official title: Does an Online Two-week Positive Psychological Intervention Improve Positive Affect in Young Adults?
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Healthy
Keywords: Positive Psychological Intervention
Wellbeing
Optimism
Lead sponsor: University of Pittsburgh
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-09-07
Enrollment: 250
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: This is a two-arm parallel study, such that participants are assigned to either an active control group or intervention group.
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: The current study aims to test whether an online two-week positive psychological intervention can increase positive affect in college students. Participants will be recruited from the University of Pittsburgh undergraduate subject pool. Students will be ineligible if they are under the age of 18; currently prescribed medications for cardiac arrythmias; have a history of heart surgery, heart attack, or stroke; are currently pregnant; or currently have symptoms consistent with COVID-19. This study includes an active control arm and an intervention arm. Both arms will be required to complete writing activities every other day for two weeks. Participants in the control arm will list their daily activities, while participants in the intervention arm will complete various positive psychology activities. Questionnaires assessing mood, emotional well-being, social functioning and a few health behaviors will be administered pre- and post-intervention. The investigators aim to recruit 250 undergraduate students with the hope that at least 50 participants per group will complete the entire study.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Must be an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh that is currently taking Introduction to Psychology.
* Must be at least 18 years old
* Not currently prescribed medications for cardiac arrythmias
* Report no history of heart surgery, heart attack, or stroke
* Not currently pregnant
* Must deny having current symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

Exclusion Criteria:

* If the participant does not meet the inclusion criteria.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change from baseline in positive affect at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in positive affect at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change from baseline in optimism at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in life satisfaction at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in psychological well-being at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in perceived stress at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in perceived social support at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in loneliness at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in depressive symptoms at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in anxiety symptoms at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in light physical activity (in general) at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in moderate physical activity (in general) at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in sleep quality (in general) at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in sleep quantity (in general) at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in negative affect at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
measure: Change from baseline in negative affect at 1 week post-intervention
timeFrame: Assessed twice, once before the intervention and a second time within one week of completing the intervention.
Other outcomes:
measure: Loneliness
timeFrame: Assessed every other day, after participants complete each activity for up to 2 weeks.
measure: Connectedness
timeFrame: Assessed every other day, after participants complete each activity for up to 2 weeks.
measure: Stress
timeFrame: Assessed every other day, after participants complete each activity for up to 2 weeks.
measure: School-specific stress
timeFrame: Assessed every other day, after participants complete each activity for up to 2 weeks.
measure: Light physical activity (today)
timeFrame: Assessed every other day, after participants complete each activity for up to 2 weeks.
measure: Moderate to vigorous physical activity (today)
timeFrame: Assessed every other day, after participants complete each activity for up to 2 weeks.
measure: Sleep quantity (today)
timeFrame: Assessed every other day, after participants complete each activity for up to 2 weeks.
measure: Sleep quality (today)
timeFrame: Assessed every other day, after participants complete each activity for up to 2 weeks.
Locations:
city: Pittsburgh
country: United States
facility: University of Pittsburgh
state: Pennsylvania
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Pittsburgh
name: Caitlin M DuPont, MS
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: