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Depression in RemissionMAT ProcessNCT05585775

Mood and Thought Process Study

A study testing Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Wellness for Wellbeing in people with Depression in Remission and Depressive Symptoms, run by Butler Hospital at 1 site in United States.

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

The primary objective for this project is to test whether affective executive functioning is a mechanism of action of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and Wellness for Wellbeing. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Test the effect of MBCT vs. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Wellness for Wellbeing
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
64 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
6 Apr 2023to 4 Sep 2026
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
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Adults 18 years or older
  • English fluency in order to complete study procedures
  • Normal vision or corrected to normal vision
  • QIDS score ≥ 5 and ≤ 15 to include individuals with elevated, but not severe symptoms of depression
  • No presence of psychotic symptoms that interfere with functioning
  • No current hazardous alcohol or drug use
Show all 13Show fewer
  • No previous experience with mindfulness-based treatment (i.e., enrollment in MBSR or MBCT previously)
  • No current symptoms of mania indicative of a manic episode
  • No current cognitive impairment
  • No history of a formally diagnosed learning disability in reading, intellectual disability or other developmental disorder
  • No history of a neurologic illness affecting cognition
  • If on psychiatric medications, no change in medications for at least 4 weeks
  • If in psychotherapy, no change in therapy status for at least 4 weeks

Who cannot join

  • Exclusion criteria include: (a) presence of psychotic symptoms that interfere with one's ability to function as determined by the SCID-5 Psychotic Screening Module; (b) current hazardous alcohol or drug use as indicated by a score of >10 for men and women on the AUDIT and the DUDIT for cannabis use, and >6 for men and women on the DUDIT for all other drugs (everything but cannabis), (c) change in psychiatric drug prescription within 4 weeks; (d) started psychotherapy or other psychiatric treatment within the past 4 weeks; (e) current suicide ideation or behavior which requires urgent intervention due to safety concerns; (f) Previous enrollment in MBCT or MBSR; (g) symptoms of mild cognitive impairment as indicated by a score of <26 on the MoCA; (h) formally diagnosed learning disability, intellectual disability, or other developmental disorder; (i) history of neurologic illness affecting cognition; (j) current symptoms indicative of a manic episode per the SCID-5 Mood Disorders Module.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Butler Hospital

    Providence, Rhode Island, 02906

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Affective Executive Functioning as a Mechanism of Treatments for Depression Symptoms

The primary objective for this project is to test whether affective executive functioning is a mechanism of action of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and Wellness for Wellbeing. The main questions it aims to answer are:

  1. Test the effect of MBCT vs. Wellness for Wellbeing on affective inhibition (i.e., emotionally valenced inhibition as measured via the affective Go/No Go task) using an RCT.
  2. Test the effect of MBCT vs. Wellness for Wellbeing on (a) affective updating and (b) affective shifting. Outcomes will be measured with the affective n-Back and the affective Internal Switching Task, respectively.
Read more

3a) The investigators will examine whether depression symptom severity co-varies with change in affective executive functioning (i.e., affecting inhibition, shifting, and updating) over time. 3b) The investigators will examine whether compliance with treatment protocol (e.g., number of classes attended, amount of home practice) predicts endpoint executive functioning.

Participants will complete surveys, interviews, and computer tasks, and will be randomized to either Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy or Wellness for Wellbeing.

Read the detailed description

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an efficacious treatment for patients with symptoms of depression. However, the processes by which MBCT achieves its outcomes are not well understood. Drawing on literature on basic cognitive functioning and cognitive biases in depression, this K23 will use a randomized controlled trial to test the effect of MBCT vs. Wellness for Wellbeing on affective inhibition (an important component of executive functioning (EF)), and a possible mechanism of action by which MBCT has an impact on depression symptoms. As a secondary aim, this project will also test the effect of MBCT vs. Wellness for Wellbeing on affective updating and affective shifting (two remaining components of EF). In exploratory analyses, the investigators will examine whether depression symptom severity covaries with change in affective EF (i.e., affective inhibition, shifting, and updating) overtime, and whether adherence to the treatment protocol predicts endpoint EF. To accomplish these goals, 76 adult participants with elevated depression symptoms will be recruited from the community and will be randomized to either an 8-week MBCT course at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University or an 8-week Wellness for Wellbeing Class. Participants will complete validated computer-based tasks of affective EF at 4-assessments, 1 before, 2 during, and 1 after, the 8-week MBCT or Wellness for Wellbeing programs.

Being tested
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Wellness for Wellbeing
Medical subject headings
Depression

What participants receive

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

  • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive TherapyBehavioural

    MBCT classes are comprised of weekly, 2.5-hour classes in which participants learn cognitive therapy techniques and practice meditation exercises. Participants will complete group and/or individual orientation to MBCT with the MBCT instructor, 1-2 weeks prior to the first scheduled MBCT class. Additionally, MBCT requires 45-minutes of daily home practice, and a full day, 8-hour silent meditation retreat. MBCT classes are delivered via the protocol and curriculum developed by the MBCT founders. Participants randomized to MBCT will receive 8-weeks of MBCT classes.

  • Wellness for WellbeingBehavioural

    Wellness for Wellbeing will serve as the active control for MBCT. Participants randomized to Wellness for Wellbeing will receive 1-hour group delivered classes, once per week, for 8-weeks. Participants will receive an orientation to Wellness for Wellbeing 1-2 weeks prior to the first class. Classes will be delivered by a research therapist. Topics for Wellness for Wellbeing include: nutrition, caffeine, preventing cancer, diabetes, heart health, sleep, being a smart patient, and complementary and alternative medicine. Wellness for Wellbeing classes are interactive and do not include components designed to impact affective cognition in any way. Because participants may have varying levels of health literacy, the research therapist tailors presentation of the material to the participants' level of knowledge of the topic. Information presented in Wellness for Wellbeing is regularly updated with current health guidelines.

Study groups in NCT05585775
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)ExperimentalMBCT classes are comprised of weekly, 2.5-hour classes in which participants learn cognitive therapy techniques and practice meditation exercises. Participants will complete group and/or individual orientation to MBCT with the MBCT instructor, 1-2 weeks prior to the first scheduled MBCT class. Additionally, MBCT requires 45-minutes of daily home practice, and a full day, 8-hour silent meditation retreat. MBCT classes are delivered via the protocol and curriculum developed by the MBCT founders. Participants randomized to MBCT will receive 8-weeks of MBCT classes.
Receives: Behavioral: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Wellness for WellbeingActive comparatorWellness for Wellbeing will serve as the active control for MBCT. Participants randomized to Wellness for Wellbeing will receive 1-hour group delivered classes, once per week, for 8-weeks. Participants will receive an orientation to Wellness for Wellbeing 1-2 weeks prior to the first class. Classes will be delivered by a research therapist. Topics for Wellness for Wellbeing include: nutrition, caffeine, preventing cancer, diabetes, heart health, sleep, being a smart patient, and complementary and alternative medicine. Wellness for Wellbeing classes are interactive and do not include components designed to impact affective cognition in any way. Because participants may have varying levels of health literacy, the research therapist tailors presentation of the material to the participants' level of knowledge of the topic. Information presented in Wellness for Wellbeing is regularly updated with current health guidelines.
Receives: Behavioral: Wellness for Wellbeing

What is being measured

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

  1. Affective Go/No-Go

    This task requires utilizing inhibition to respond to word features (i.e., normal vs. italicized font) rather than word content. In this task, participants are told to respond (via key press) when a go stimulus (i.e., normal text) is presented and to withhold their response when a no-go stimulus (i.e., italicized text) is presented. words are negatively valenced (e.g., hate, sad) or positively valenced (e.g., terrific, win). Conditions are matched on word length and frequency of use in the English language.

    Measured: 10-week

  2. Emotional n-back

    Updating will be measured via the n-Back Task. Individuals are presented words on a computer screen, and are asked to indicate (via key press), whether the current word is the same or different from the word presented n times back. The investigators will be using 2-back trials, as these trials are not too difficult so that participants become frustrated, yet engage updating processes. The affective version of the task will be an adapted affective n-back task in which individuals are presented with negative and positive words, and asked to indicate via key press whether the word n-trials back matches the valence (positive or negative) of the current word.

    Measured: 10-week

  3. Affective Internal Switching Task

    Shifting will be measured via the Internal Switching Task (IST). Participants are presented with one word on the computer screen at a time, and are asked to keep a silent mental count of how many words they see from two semantic categories (i.e., positive affective words and negative affective words). Participants are instructed to press the spacebar when they have updated their mental count and are ready for the next word. Participants are asked to keep a mental count of how many positive and how many negative words appear in each category, and press the spacebar when they have updated their mental count.

    Measured: 10-week

  4. Depression Symptoms

    Participants will complete the 16-item Quick Inventory of Depression Symptoms (Self-Report) measure assessing depression symptoms and associated symptoms.

    Measured: 10-week

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Attention Control Scale

    Self-report measure of attention control

    Measured: 10-week

  2. Positive and Negative Affect Scale

    Self-report measure of affect

    Measured: 10-week

  3. Five Factor Mindfulness Scale

    Self-report measure of mindfulness

    Measured: 10-week

  4. Patient Health Questionnaire-9

    Self-report measure of depression symptoms

    Measured: 10-week

  5. Ruminative Response Scale

    Self-report measure of rumination

    Measured: 10-week

  6. Generalized Anxiety Disorder -7

    Self-report measure of anxiety symptoms

    Measured: 10-week

Timeline

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

  1. First posted19 Oct 2022
  2. Study start6 Apr 2023
  3. Primary completion4 Sep 2026
  4. Study completion4 Sep 2026

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
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
64 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05585775
Sponsor's protocol ID
2110-001
Other IDs
K23AT011388-01A1
Acronym
MAT Process
Status last verified
Sep 2026
First submitted
11 Oct 2022
Last updated
28 Sep 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Because data from this project will be completely de-identified and our sample will not be easily identifiable, data will be made available upon request to other researchers without cost to researchers or analysts.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Wellness for Wellbeing in people with Depression in Remission and Depressive Symptoms, run by Butler Hospital 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 13 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 28 Sep 2026. 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?

Affective Go/No-Go (time frame: 10-week). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
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 28 Sep 2026.

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