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Specific Positive MemoriesRASPERANCT05757180

Recalling and Anticipating Specific Positive Events to Boost Resilience in Adolescents

A study testing Positive Events Training (PET) and CREAtive writing Training (CREAT) in people with Specific Positive Memories and Specific Positive Future Events, run by Prof. dr. Filip Raes at 5 sites in Belgium.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Many young people are experiencing stress-related mental health problems, with some recent studies suggesting this number is increasing. Especially now, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a significant increase in depression and anxiety in adolescents. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 12 to 16 years
What is being tested?
Positive Events Training (PET) and CREAtive writing Training (CREAT)
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
191 participants
Where
5 sitesBelgium
Study dates
21 Oct 2022to 13 May 2023
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 12 to 16 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • All adolescents of the selected classes of the participating schools (12-16 years; 1st and 2nd grade of secondary school) who want to take part in the study and give informed consent (own informed consent and active parental informed consent) will be allowed to take part in the study.
  • To minimize the risk of too much heterogeneity in our final sample, for instance due to context factors related to the type of education, the investigators will first recruit classes of adolescents that follow general secondary education. Future studies (after PET has been properly evaluated in this study) should also be conducted in samples of adolescents following other types of secondary education.

Who cannot join

  • -

Trial locations and contacts

5 sites in 1 country.

5 sites in 1 country

Belgium5 sites

  • Pius X - instituut

    Antwerp, 2020

  • Sint Lambertuscollege

    Bilzen, Limburg, 3740

  • GO! Next sportschool Hasselt

    Hasselt, Limburg, 3500

  • Scholen Kindsheid Jesu

    Hasselt, Limburg, 3500

  • KOBOS Secundaire Scholen

    Kapelle-op-den-Bos, Vlaams-Brabant, 1880

Other trials in Belgium

About this study

Many young people are experiencing stress-related mental health problems, with some recent studies suggesting this number is increasing. Especially now, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a significant increase in depression and anxiety in adolescents. An important way to help address this challenge is not so much to focus on trying to repair what makes young people vulnerable but to focus on building resilience. Resilience refers to the ability to successfully deal with stressful experiences. Recent research shows that being able to vividly remember and imagine positive events can buffer the negative consequences of stress, and makes a convincing case that training adolescents in recalling and anticipating positive events would promote resilience and thereby improve their mental wellbeing. And this is exactly what the current project sets out to do for the very first time. Adolescents will receive a playful group-training in school to make them better at recalling and anticipating positive events, which is expected to help them to bounce back more swiftly from challenging or otherwise stressful life events. The investigators predict that youngsters who follow our Positive Event Training will experience more positive emotions, will show improved resilience and report better mental wellbeing. The investigators will also develop a free online training protocol for teachers so that schools can provide this resilience program on their own, without the need of external professional trainers.

Being tested
Positive Events Training (PET), CREAtive writing Training (CREAT)
Keywords
adolescents, anhedonia, dampening, episodic future thinking, memory specificity, positive emotions, resilience, savoring, wellbeing
Medical subject headings
Anhedonia

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Positive Events Training (PET)Behavioural

    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). It comprises four sessions of 50 minutes each. The training is delivered in a standardized manner, using the Positive Event Training Manual developed for this study (content adapted from our MEST and FEST manuals). Following brief psychoeducation on the rationale, participants practice generating detailed specific memories and future events using neutral and positive cue-words. Participants are maximally supported and challenged by the trainer and by the other group-members to generate very specific and highly detailed memories and future events using mental imagery and drawing upon visual, olfactory, auditory and emotional elements of the events, including both contextual and sensory-perceptual details.

  • CREAtive writing Training (CREAT)Behavioural

    CREAT follows the exact same format and length as the PET training (i.e., delivered by a trainer in group over 4 x 50-minute sessions, including homework exercises). Following brief psychoeducation on the (bogus*) rationale behind PET, participants complete a series of creative writing exercises using funny and thought-provoking writing prompts. Just as in PET, participants are maximally supported and challenged by the trainer and by the other group-members, in this case to generate completions that are as creative and funny as possible. The investigators used CREAT successfully before in an online format as a bogus control training for a memory specificity training. (*) The investigators tell participants that these creative writing exercises have been found to be beneficial for mental wellbeing, as creative writing exercises cultivate creativity and stimulate participants' imagination skills.

Study groups in NCT05757180
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Intervention groupExperimentalClasses that will follow Positive Events Training.
Receives: Behavioral: Positive Events Training (PET)
Control groupActive comparatorClasses that will follow Bogus Control Training.
Receives: Behavioral: CREAtive writing Training (CREAT)

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Resilience

    Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC, short version) to assess resilience - This scale consists of 10 items (e.g., "Dealing with stress makes me stronger.") that are rated on a 5-point Likert scale going from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very often), with higher scores indicating higher resilience.

    Measured: 1 week before the intervention, 1 week after the intervention and 2 months after the intervention.

  2. Change in Mental wellbeing

    Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS; Stewart-Brown et al., 2009) to assess mental wellbeing - The SWEMWBS consists of seven statements (e.g., "I felt relaxed.") about thoughts and feelings that are scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always). Higher scores reflect higher mental wellbeing.

    Measured: One week before the intervention, one week after the intervention and two months after the intervention; The SWEMWBS consists of seven statements (e.g., "I felt relaxed.") about thoughts and feelings that are scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from

Secondary outcomes (6)

  1. Change in Positive affect

    Positive Affect subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Scales (PANAS; Watson et al., 1988) to assess positive affect - The Positive Affect subscale of the PANAS consists of 10 items (words) that describe positive feelings (e.g., "excited"). Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale going from 1 (very slightly or not at all) to 5 (extremely), where with higher scores reflecting higher positive affect.

    Measured: One week before the intervention, one week after the intervention and two months after the intervention

  2. Change in Positive affect regulation

    Dampening and Savoring subscale of the Responses to Positive Affect scale, child version (RPA-C; Bijttebier et al., 2012) to assess positive affect regulation - The RPA-C consists of items reflecting both dampening items (e.g., "When you felt happy, how often did you think: "I don't deserve this"?") and savoring items responses (e.g., "When you felt happy, how often did you notice that you felt full of energy?"). All 17 items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very often).

    Measured: One week before the intervention, one week after the intervention and two months after the intervention

  3. Change in Anhedonia

    Leuven Anhedonia Self-report Scale (LASS, 2nd version; Nelis, Bastin, Raes, \& Bijttebier 2018) to assess symptoms of anhedonia - The 12All 12 items (e.g., "There were few things I looked forward to.") are rated on a 5-point Likert scale going from 1 (completely untrue) to 5 (completely true) with higher scores reflecting higher levels of anhedonia.

    Measured: One week before the intervention, one week after the intervention and two months after the intervention

  4. Change in Dampening

    Leuven Exeter Dampening Scale - General (LEDS, unpublished) to assess dampening.- The LEDS-G consists of 13 items (e.g., "I can only be happy if others are too.") that are rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Compared to the RPA dampening subscale, the LEDS-G aims to cover a larger variety of dampening appraisal styles.

    Measured: One week before the intervention, one week after the intervention and two months after the intervention

  5. Change in Savoring

    Savouring Items for the Four-Factor Model of the Abridged Ways Of Savoring Checklist in Response to Everyday Events (Original scale Bryant and Vernoff, 2007; Four-Factor Model Chadwick, 2012) to assess savoring. - Items (e.g., "I looked for other people to share it with.") are rated on a 7-point Likert scale going from 1 (totally disagree) to 7 (totally agree), with higher scores reflecting higher levels of savoring.

    Measured: One week before the intervention, one week after the intervention and two months after the intervention

  6. Change in Depressive symptoms and stress

    Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21; Lovibond \& Lovibond, 1995) to assess basic mental health to control for baseline differences in the training groups, and to explore the generalised effect of PET on levels of depressive symptoms and stress at post-intervention and at follow-up. - The DASS-21 consists of 21 items (e.g., "I felt like my life had no meaning.") that are rated on a 4-point Likert scale going from 0 (never) to 3 (almost always).

    Measured: One week before the intervention, one week after the intervention and two months after the intervention

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted7 Mar 2023
  2. Study start21 Oct 2022
  3. Primary completion13 May 2023
  4. Study completion13 May 2023

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
A cluster randomized-controlled trial design will be used with a two (condition: PET vs. active control) x three (time-point: baseline, post-training and FU) factorial-design.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
191 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05757180
Sponsor's protocol ID
G049019N
Acronym
RASPERA
Status last verified
Jul 2023
First submitted
14 Feb 2023
Last updated
7 Jul 2023
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: The coded, pseudonomized dataset will be uploaded in a csv format to OSF (in a restricted access repository).

Publications

  • Mojtabai R, Olfson M, Han B. National Trends in the Prevalence and Treatment of Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults. Pediatrics. 2016 Dec;138(6):e20161878. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-1878. Epub 2016 Nov 14.

    PubMed 27940701

  • Nearchou F, Flinn C, Niland R, Subramaniam SS, Hennessy E. Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Nov 16;17(22):8479. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17228479.

    PubMed 33207689

  • Jorm AF, Patten SB, Brugha TS, Mojtabai R. Has increased provision of treatment reduced the prevalence of common mental disorders? Review of the evidence from four countries. World Psychiatry. 2017 Feb;16(1):90-99. doi: 10.1002/wps.20388.

    PubMed 28127925

  • Skrove M, Romundstad P, Indredavik MS. Resilience, lifestyle and symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescence: the Young-HUNT study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2013 Mar;48(3):407-16. doi: 10.1007/s00127-012-0561-2. Epub 2012 Aug 8.

    PubMed 22872359

  • Simon-Saiz MJ, Fuentes-Chacon RM, Garrido-Abejar M, Serrano-Parra MD, Larranaga-Rubio E, Yubero-Jimenez S. Influence of resilience on health-related quality of life in adolescents. Enferm Clin (Engl Ed). 2018 Sep-Oct;28(5):283-291. doi: 10.1016/j.enfcli.2018.06.003. Epub 2018 Jul 20. English, Spanish.

    PubMed 30037487

  • Askelund AD, Schweizer S, Goodyer IM, van Harmelen AL. Positive memory specificity is associated with reduced vulnerability to depression. Nat Hum Behav. 2019 Mar;3(3):265-273. doi: 10.1038/s41562-018-0504-3. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

    PubMed 30953005

  • Speer ME, Delgado MR. Reminiscing about positive memories buffers acute stress responses. Nat Hum Behav. 2017 May;1(5):0093. doi: 10.1038/s41562-017-0093. Epub 2017 Apr 24.

    PubMed 31482135

  • Arditte Hall KA, De Raedt R, Timpano KR, Joormann J. Positive memory enhancement training for individuals with major depressive disorder. Cogn Behav Ther. 2018 Mar;47(2):155-168. doi: 10.1080/16506073.2017.1364291. Epub 2017 Aug 22.

    PubMed 28826327

  • Hallford DJ, Yeow JJE, Fountas G, Herrick CA, Raes F, D'Argembeau A. Changing the future: An initial test of Future Specificity Training (FeST). Behav Res Ther. 2020 Aug;131:103638. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2020.103638. Epub 2020 May 7.

    PubMed 32416495

  • Tugade MM, Fredrickson BL. Resilient individuals use positive emotions to bounce back from negative emotional experiences. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2004 Feb;86(2):320-33. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.86.2.320.

    PubMed 14769087

  • Fredrickson BL. The role of positive emotions in positive psychology. The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Am Psychol. 2001 Mar;56(3):218-26. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.56.3.218.

    PubMed 11315248

  • Nelis S, Holmes EA, Raes F. Response Styles to Positive Affect and Depression: Concurrent and Prospective Associations in a Community Sample. Cognit Ther Res. 2015;39(4):480-491. doi: 10.1007/s10608-015-9671-y.

    PubMed 26229213

  • Nelis S, Bastin M, Raes F, Bijttebier P. When Do Good Things Lift You Up? Dampening, Enhancing, and Uplifts in Relation To Depressive and Anhedonic Symptoms in Early Adolescence. J Youth Adolesc. 2018 Aug;47(8):1712-1730. doi: 10.1007/s10964-018-0880-z. Epub 2018 Jun 20.

    PubMed 29926335

  • Vinckier F, Gourion D, Mouchabac S. Anhedonia predicts poor psychosocial functioning: Results from a large cohort of patients treated for major depressive disorder by general practitioners. Eur Psychiatry. 2017 Jul;44:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.02.485. Epub 2017 Mar 8.

    PubMed 28535406

  • Hallford DJ, Sharma MK. Anticipatory pleasure for future experiences in schizophrenia spectrum disorders and major depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Clin Psychol. 2019 Nov;58(4):357-383. doi: 10.1111/bjc.12218. Epub 2019 Mar 10.

    PubMed 30854671

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Positive Events Training (PET) and CREAtive writing Training (CREAT) in people with Specific Positive Memories and Specific Positive Future Events, run by Prof. dr. Filip Raes at 5 sites in Belgium.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 Jul 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 5 sites in Belgium. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Resilience (time frame: 1 week before the intervention, 1 week after the intervention and 2 months after the intervention.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05757180, which also lists 35 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 Jul 2023.

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