AnxietyPARK-NUNCT04367922
Positive Affect Regulation sKills at Northwestern University
A study testing Positive Emotion Skills Course in people with Anxiety and Depression, run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The Positive Affect Regulation sKills (PARK) Course is an online program containing a series of positive emotion skills for individuals experiencing stress and distress as a result of COVID-19 and the return to "normal." The study specifically targets positive emotion, and offers an array of skills in a self-guided… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Anxiety, Depression, Social Isolation
- What is being tested?
- Positive Emotion Skills Course
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 1,000 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 27 Apr 2020to 31 Dec 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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- At least 18 years of age
- Speaks and reads English
- Able to access the online platform through their phone, a public device (i.e., at the library) or at home.
- Lives in US
Who cannot join
- Inability to communicate in English
- Lives outside the US
- Under 18 years of age
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: A Positive Affect Regulation sKills Intervention to Decrease Stress During a Pandemic: A Single Arm, Non-Randomized Trial of a Public Platform
The Positive Affect Regulation sKills (PARK) Course is an online program containing a series of positive emotion skills for individuals experiencing stress and distress as a result of COVID-19 and the return to "normal." The study specifically targets positive emotion, and offers an array of skills in a self-guided online delivery platform, making the program accessible and convenient in confusing and stressful times.
Our main aims are:
Aim 1: To explore the effects of PARK on anxiety, depression, feelings of social isolation, positive affect, and a sense of meaning and purpose.
Aim 2: To test whether age or gender moderate the effects of the program.
Read the detailed description
The goal of the proposed program, PARK, is to reduce feelings of anxiety, depression, and social isolation, as well as increase well-being and a sense of meaning and purpose through the practice of positive emotion skills via a self-guided online platform. We will compare baseline scores on PROMIS measures of Anxiety, Depression, Social Isolation, Meaning and Purpose, and Positive Emotion to scores after completing the online course (approximately 8 weeks later), and again at 6 months post-baseline.
Research will be based in Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine through the Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS), with all study procedures conducted online. Eligibility screening, consent, and assessments will be conducted on REDCap. For the positive skills course (including weekly lessons and daily skills practice) and daily emotion check-ins, consenting participants will receive access to the online PARK platform, hosted by BrightOutcome.
The skills will be delivered over approximately 6 weeks, and individuals can participate from any device and location with internet access.
- Conditions
- Anxiety, Depression, Social Isolation
- Being tested
- Positive Emotion Skills Course
- Medical subject headings
- Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Social Isolation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Positive Emotion Skills CourseBehavioural
The skills will be delivered over approximately 6 weeks, and individuals can participate from any device and location with internet access. A week will consist of 1-2 days of didactic material and 5-6 days of real-life skills practice and reporting. Participants cannot skip ahead, and can only progress to the next lesson if they have completed the current one, but they can return to old lessons or exercises if they wish to. Skills include: positive events, capitalizing, gratitude, mindfulness, positive reappraisal, personal strengths, achievable goals, self-compassion.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Positive emotion skills invervention | Experimental | Participants will go through a 6-week positive emotion skills course where 1 new skill opens each week. Receives: Behavioral: Positive Emotion Skills Course |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in anxiety
Assessed using PROMIS Anxiety (CAT)
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months
Change in depression
Assessed using PROMIS Depression (CAT)
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months
Change in feelings of social isolation
Assessed using PROMIS Social Isolation (CAT)
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months
Change in positive affect
Assessed using PROMIS Positive Affect (CAT)
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months
Change in sense of meaning and purpose
Assessed using PROMIS Meaning and Purpose (CAT)
Measured: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Apr 2020
- Study start27 Apr 2020
- Primary completion31 Dec 2023
- Study completion31 Dec 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (10)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for AnxietyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Northwestern UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 1,000 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Judith Moskowitz, PhD, Principal investigator, Northwestern University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04367922
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STU00212262
- Acronym
- PARK-NU
- Status last verified
- Apr 2024
- First submitted
- 27 Apr 2020
- Last updated
- 24 Apr 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Moskowitz JT, Addington EL, Cheung EO. Positive psychology and health: Well-being interventions in the context of illness. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2019 Nov-Dec;61:136-138. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2019.11.001. Epub 2019 Nov 8. No abstract available.
PubMed 31757566Addington EL, Cheung EO, Bassett SM, Kwok I, Schuette SA, Shiu E, Yang D, Cohn MA, Leykin Y, Saslow LR, Moskowitz JT. The MARIGOLD study: Feasibility and enhancement of an online intervention to improve emotion regulation in people with elevated depressive symptoms. J Affect Disord. 2019 Oct 1;257:352-364. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.07.049. Epub 2019 Jul 5.
PubMed 31302525Moskowitz JT, Cheung EO, Snowberg KE, Verstaen A, Merrilees J, Salsman JM, Dowling GA. Randomized controlled trial of a facilitated online positive emotion regulation intervention for dementia caregivers. Health Psychol. 2019 May;38(5):391-402. doi: 10.1037/hea0000680.
PubMed 31045422Bassett SM, Cohn M, Cotten P, Kwok I, Moskowitz JT. Feasibility and Acceptability of an Online Positive Affect Intervention for Those Living with Comorbid HIV Depression. AIDS Behav. 2019 Mar;23(3):753-764. doi: 10.1007/s10461-019-02412-z.
PubMed 30701389Pressman SD, Jenkins BN, Moskowitz JT. Positive Affect and Health: What Do We Know and Where Next Should We Go? Annu Rev Psychol. 2019 Jan 4;70:627-650. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102955. Epub 2018 Sep 27.
PubMed 30260746Cheung EO, Addington EL, Bassett SM, Schuette SA, Shiu EW, Cohn MA, Leykin Y, Saslow LR, Moskowitz JT. A Self-Paced, Web-Based, Positive Emotion Skills Intervention for Reducing Symptoms of Depression: Protocol for Development and Pilot Testing of MARIGOLD. JMIR Res Protoc. 2018 Jun 5;7(6):e10494. doi: 10.2196/10494.
PubMed 29871853Cohn MA, Pietrucha ME, Saslow LR, Hult JR, Moskowitz JT. An online positive affect skills intervention reduces depression in adults with type 2 diabetes. J Posit Psychol. 2014 Jan 1;9(6):523-534. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2014.920410.
PubMed 25214877Dowling GA, Merrilees J, Mastick J, Chang VY, Hubbard E, Moskowitz JT. Life enhancing activities for family caregivers of people with frontotemporal dementia. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2014 Apr-Jun;28(2):175-81. doi: 10.1097/WAD.0b013e3182a6b905.
PubMed 24113564Folkman S, Moskowitz JT. Coping: pitfalls and promise. Annu Rev Psychol. 2004;55:745-74. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.141456.
PubMed 14744233Addington EL, Cummings P, Jackson K, Yang D, Moskowitz JT. Exploring Retention, Usage, and Efficacy of Web-Based Delivery of Positive Emotion Regulation Skills During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Affect Sci. 2022 Oct 4;4(1):118-130. doi: 10.1007/s42761-022-00135-4. eCollection 2023 Mar.
PubMed 36211530
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Apr 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Positive Affect Regulation sKills Intervention to Decrease Stress During a Pandemic: A Single Arm, Non-Randomized Trial of a Public Platform
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04367922
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PARK-NU / STU00212262
- Conditions
- Anxiety, Depression, Social Isolation
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 1,000 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 27 Apr 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 29 Apr 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The Positive Affect Regulation sKills (PARK) Course is an online program containing a series of positive emotion skills for individuals experiencing stress and distress as a result of COVID-19 and the return to "normal." The study specifically targets positive emotion, and offers an array of skills in a self-guided online delivery platform, making the program accessible and convenient in confusing and stressful times.
Our main aims are:
Aim 1: To explore the effects of PARK on anxiety, depression, feelings of social isolation, positive affect, and a sense of meaning and purpose.
Aim 2: To test whether age or gender moderate the effects of the program.
Detailed description
The goal of the proposed program, PARK, is to reduce feelings of anxiety, depression, and social isolation, as well as increase well-being and a sense of meaning and purpose through the practice of positive emotion skills via a self-guided online platform. We will compare baseline scores on PROMIS measures of Anxiety, Depression, Social Isolation, Meaning and Purpose, and Positive Emotion to scores after completing the online course (approximately 8 weeks later), and again at 6 months post-baseline.
Research will be based in Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine through the Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS), with all study procedures conducted online. Eligibility screening, consent, and assessments will be conducted on REDCap. For the positive skills course (including weekly lessons and daily skills practice) and daily emotion check-ins, consenting participants will receive access to the online PARK platform, hosted by BrightOutcome.
The skills will be delivered over approximately 6 weeks, and individuals can participate from any device and location with internet access.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Positive emotion skills invervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Positive Emotion Skills CourseParticipants will go through a 6-week positive emotion skills course where 1 new skill opens each week. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- At least 18 years of age
- Speaks and reads English
- Able to access the online platform through their phone, a public device (i.e., at the library) or at home.
- Lives in US
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Inability to communicate in English
- Lives outside the US
- Under 18 years of age
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Positive Emotion Skills CourseThe skills will be delivered over approximately 6 weeks, and individuals can participate from any device and location with internet access. A week will consist of 1-2 days of didactic material and 5-6 days of real-life skills practice and reporting. Participants cannot skip ahead, and can only progress to the next lesson if they have completed the current one, but they can return to old lessons or exercises if they wish to. Skills include: positive events, capitalizing, gratitude, mindfulness, positive reappraisal, personal strengths, achievable goals, self-compassion. | Behavioural | Positive emotion skills invervention |
Primary outcome
Change in anxiety
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months
Assessed using PROMIS Anxiety (CAT)
Change in depression
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months
Assessed using PROMIS Depression (CAT)
Change in feelings of social isolation
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months
Assessed using PROMIS Social Isolation (CAT)
Change in positive affect
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months
Assessed using PROMIS Positive Affect (CAT)
Change in sense of meaning and purpose
Time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months
Assessed using PROMIS Meaning and Purpose (CAT)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Apr 2024.
- Background: PubMed 31757566Moskowitz JT, Addington EL, Cheung EO. Positive psychology and health: Well-being interventions in the context of illness. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2019 Nov-Dec;61:136-138. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2019.11.001. Epub 2019 Nov 8. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 31302525Addington EL, Cheung EO, Bassett SM, Kwok I, Schuette SA, Shiu E, Yang D, Cohn MA, Leykin Y, Saslow LR, Moskowitz JT. The MARIGOLD study: Feasibility and enhancement of an online intervention to improve emotion regulation in people with elevated depressive symptoms. J Affect Disord. 2019 Oct 1;257:352-364. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.07.049. Epub 2019 Jul 5.
- Background: PubMed 31045422Moskowitz JT, Cheung EO, Snowberg KE, Verstaen A, Merrilees J, Salsman JM, Dowling GA. Randomized controlled trial of a facilitated online positive emotion regulation intervention for dementia caregivers. Health Psychol. 2019 May;38(5):391-402. doi: 10.1037/hea0000680.
- Background: PubMed 30701389Bassett SM, Cohn M, Cotten P, Kwok I, Moskowitz JT. Feasibility and Acceptability of an Online Positive Affect Intervention for Those Living with Comorbid HIV Depression. AIDS Behav. 2019 Mar;23(3):753-764. doi: 10.1007/s10461-019-02412-z.
- Background: PubMed 30260746Pressman SD, Jenkins BN, Moskowitz JT. Positive Affect and Health: What Do We Know and Where Next Should We Go? Annu Rev Psychol. 2019 Jan 4;70:627-650. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102955. Epub 2018 Sep 27.
- Background: PubMed 29871853Cheung EO, Addington EL, Bassett SM, Schuette SA, Shiu EW, Cohn MA, Leykin Y, Saslow LR, Moskowitz JT. A Self-Paced, Web-Based, Positive Emotion Skills Intervention for Reducing Symptoms of Depression: Protocol for Development and Pilot Testing of MARIGOLD. JMIR Res Protoc. 2018 Jun 5;7(6):e10494. doi: 10.2196/10494.
- Background: PubMed 25214877Cohn MA, Pietrucha ME, Saslow LR, Hult JR, Moskowitz JT. An online positive affect skills intervention reduces depression in adults with type 2 diabetes. J Posit Psychol. 2014 Jan 1;9(6):523-534. doi: 10.1080/17439760.2014.920410.
- Background: PubMed 24113564Dowling GA, Merrilees J, Mastick J, Chang VY, Hubbard E, Moskowitz JT. Life enhancing activities for family caregivers of people with frontotemporal dementia. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2014 Apr-Jun;28(2):175-81. doi: 10.1097/WAD.0b013e3182a6b905.
- Background: PubMed 14744233Folkman S, Moskowitz JT. Coping: pitfalls and promise. Annu Rev Psychol. 2004;55:745-74. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.141456.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 36211530Addington EL, Cummings P, Jackson K, Yang D, Moskowitz JT. Exploring Retention, Usage, and Efficacy of Web-Based Delivery of Positive Emotion Regulation Skills During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Affect Sci. 2022 Oct 4;4(1):118-130. doi: 10.1007/s42761-022-00135-4. eCollection 2023 Mar.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Judith Moskowitz, PhD principal investigator
Northwestern University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Positive Emotion Skills Course in people with Anxiety and Depression, run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.
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 4 inclusion and 3 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 24 Apr 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. 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 anxiety (time frame: Baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months). The study lists 5 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 NCT04367922, which also lists 10 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 24 Apr 2024.