Emotional DistressNCT07558772
Conceptualization and Scale Development of Excessive Emotional Behaviors
An observational study of Emotional Distress and Anxiety, run by Xinghua Liu at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
Emotional disorders, including anxiety and depression, represent a major global health burden and are increasingly conceptualized within a transdiagnostic framework. Within this framework, emotional behaviors-defined as actions driven by attempts to regulate or control emotional experiences-are considered a central… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Emotional Distress, Anxiety, Depression Anxiety Disorder
- How many people
- 637 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 28 Apr 2026to 22 Jun 2026
- Phase
- Observational
- 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
Study population: Adult participants will be recruited from university counseling centers and the general community through online and offline advertisements. The study population will primarily consist of individuals experiencing varying levels of emotional distress, including symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as individuals from the general population. All participants will be able to complete self-report questionnaires in Chinese.
Who may be able to join
- Aged 18 years or older Current or recent experience of significant anxiety or depressive distress Adequate ability to understand and communicate in Chinese Able and willing to provide written informed consent
Who cannot join
- Acute psychotic episode or other severe psychiatric disorder that would interfere with study participation Cognitive impairment that would prevent effective participation in the study
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Development and Validation of the Excessive Emotional Behaviors Scale: Long and Short Forms Among Chinese Adults With Emotional Distress
Emotional disorders, including anxiety and depression, represent a major global health burden and are increasingly conceptualized within a transdiagnostic framework. Within this framework, emotional behaviors-defined as actions driven by attempts to regulate or control emotional experiences-are considered a central mechanism underlying the development and maintenance of emotional distress. Despite their theoretical importance in models such as the Unified Protocol (UP) and the Mindfulness Intervention for Emotional Distress (MIED), there is currently no dedicated, psychometrically validated instrument specifically designed to assess excessive emotional behaviors.
The present study aims to develop and validate a self-report scale of excessive emotional behaviors grounded in the theoretical frameworks of UP and MIED. Excessive emotional behaviors are conceptualized as behaviors whose frequency, intensity, or reliance exceeds adaptive levels in response to emotional experiences and contributes to functional impairment.
Read more
A mixed-method design will be employed. Study 1 will involve semi-structured cognitive interviews with approximately 18 participants experiencing anxiety or depressive distress to evaluate item clarity, experiential relevance, and content coverage, and to refine the initial item pool. Study 2 will consist of a quantitative survey with a larger sample to examine the scale's psychometric properties, including factor structure, reliability, and validity. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) will be conducted to establish the underlying structure of the scale. Convergent and discriminant validity will be assessed through correlations with measures of experiential avoidance (AAQ-II, BEAQ), anxiety (GAD-7), and depression (PHQ-9).
The expected outcome is a brief, reliable, and valid instrument that captures multiple dimensions of excessive emotional behaviors, such as behavioral avoidance, cognitive avoidance, safety behaviors, and emotion-driven actions. This scale will provide a theoretically grounded and clinically useful tool for transdiagnostic research, mechanism testing, and intervention evaluation in emotional disorders.
- Conditions
- Emotional Distress, Anxiety, Depression Anxiety Disorder
- Keywords
- Mindfulness, Emotional Distress, Excessive Emotional Behaviors, Scale Development
- Medical subject headings
- Anxiety Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| General Adult Sample | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Initial Excessive emotional Behaviors Scale
The Initial Excessive Emotional Behavior Scale (EEBS) consists of 40 items. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale, and the total score ranges from 40 to 200, with higher scores indicating more severe excessive emotional behavior and lower scores indicating fewer excessive emotional behaviors.
Subscale scores are calculated as follows:
Behavioral Avoidance: sum of Items 1-14 Cognitive Avoidance: sum of Items 15-21 Safety Signals: sum of Items 22-32 Emotion-Driven Behavior: sum of Items 33-40
The total EEBS score is obtained by summing all 40 items. Item 11 is reverse scored before computing the subscale and total scores. In addition to the total score, subscale scores may be analyzed separately to identify the individual's primary areas of difficulty.
Measured: Baseline and 1 month
The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II)
The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) will be used to assess experiential avoidance and psychological inflexibility. The scale contains 7 items, each rated on a 7-point Likert scale, with a total score ranging from 7 to 49. Higher scores indicate greater experiential avoidance and psychological inflexibility, whereas lower scores indicate lower levels of experiential avoidance and greater psychological flexibility.
Measured: Baseline and 1 month
The Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ)
The Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ) will be used to assess experiential avoidance across multiple domains. The scale contains 15 items derived from the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (MEAQ). With each item rated on a 6-point Likert scale, the total score ranges from 15 to 90. Higher scores indicate greater experiential avoidance, whereas lower scores indicate lower levels of experiential avoidance.
Measured: Baseline and 1 month
Secondary outcomes (2)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7)
The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) will be used to assess anxiety symptoms. The scale contains 7 items, each rated on a 4-point Likert scale, with a total score ranging from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate more severe anxiety symptoms, whereas lower scores indicate less severe anxiety symptoms.
Measured: Baseline and 1 month
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) will be used to assess depressive symptoms. The scale contains 9 items, each rated on a 4-point Likert scale, with a total score ranging from 0 to 27. Higher scores indicate more severe depressive symptoms, whereas lower scores indicate less severe depressive symptoms.
Measured: Baseline and 1 month
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Apr 2026
- Study start28 Apr 2026
- Primary completion22 Jun 2026
- Study completion22 Jun 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Emotional DistressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 637 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Xinghua Liu
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Xinghua Liu, Peking University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07558772
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- E20260416
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Apr 2026
- Last updated
- 25 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data (IPD) will not be publicly shared due to concerns regarding participant privacy and confidentiality. The dataset contains potentially identifiable information related to mental health status. However, reasonable requests for access to de-identified data may be considered by the corresponding author.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Development and Validation of the Excessive Emotional Behaviors Scale: Long and Short Forms Among Chinese Adults With Emotional Distress
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07558772
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- E20260416
- Conditions
- Emotional Distress, Anxiety, Depression Anxiety Disorder
- Keywords
- Mindfulness, Emotional Distress, Excessive Emotional Behaviors, Scale Development
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 637 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Xinghua LiuUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 28 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 22 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 22 Jun 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 30 Apr 2026 (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.
Emotional disorders, including anxiety and depression, represent a major global health burden and are increasingly conceptualized within a transdiagnostic framework. Within this framework, emotional behaviors-defined as actions driven by attempts to regulate or control emotional experiences-are considered a central mechanism underlying the development and maintenance of emotional distress. Despite their theoretical importance in models such as the Unified Protocol (UP) and the Mindfulness Intervention for Emotional Distress (MIED), there is currently no dedicated, psychometrically validated instrument specifically designed to assess excessive emotional behaviors.
The present study aims to develop and validate a self-report scale of excessive emotional behaviors grounded in the theoretical frameworks of UP and MIED. Excessive emotional behaviors are conceptualized as behaviors whose frequency, intensity, or reliance exceeds adaptive levels in response to emotional experiences and contributes to functional impairment.
A mixed-method design will be employed. Study 1 will involve semi-structured cognitive interviews with approximately 18 participants experiencing anxiety or depressive distress to evaluate item clarity, experiential relevance, and content coverage, and to refine the initial item pool. Study 2 will consist of a quantitative survey with a larger sample to examine the scale's psychometric properties, including factor structure, reliability, and validity. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) will be conducted to establish the underlying structure of the scale. Convergent and discriminant validity will be assessed through correlations with measures of experiential avoidance (AAQ-II, BEAQ), anxiety (GAD-7), and depression (PHQ-9).
The expected outcome is a brief, reliable, and valid instrument that captures multiple dimensions of excessive emotional behaviors, such as behavioral avoidance, cognitive avoidance, safety behaviors, and emotion-driven actions. This scale will provide a theoretically grounded and clinically useful tool for transdiagnostic research, mechanism testing, and intervention evaluation in emotional disorders.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| General Adult Sample | – | – |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Adult participants will be recruited from university counseling centers and the general community through online and offline advertisements. The study population will primarily consist of individuals experiencing varying levels of emotional distress, including symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as individuals from the general population. All participants will be able to complete self-report questionnaires in Chinese.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Aged 18 years or older Current or recent experience of significant anxiety or depressive distress Adequate ability to understand and communicate in Chinese Able and willing to provide written informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Acute psychotic episode or other severe psychiatric disorder that would interfere with study participation Cognitive impairment that would prevent effective participation in the study
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Initial Excessive emotional Behaviors Scale
Time frame: Baseline and 1 month
The Initial Excessive Emotional Behavior Scale (EEBS) consists of 40 items. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale, and the total score ranges from 40 to 200, with higher scores indicating more severe excessive emotional behavior and lower scores indicating fewer excessive emotional behaviors. Subscale scores are calculated as follows: Behavioral Avoidance: sum of Items 1-14 Cognitive Avoidance: sum of Items 15-21 Safety Signals: sum of Items 22-32 Emotion-Driven Behavior: sum of Items 33-40 The total EEBS score is obtained by summing all 40 items. Item 11 is reverse scored before computing the subscale and total scores. In addition to the total score, subscale scores may be analyzed separately to identify the individual's primary areas of difficulty.
The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II)
Time frame: Baseline and 1 month
The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) will be used to assess experiential avoidance and psychological inflexibility. The scale contains 7 items, each rated on a 7-point Likert scale, with a total score ranging from 7 to 49. Higher scores indicate greater experiential avoidance and psychological inflexibility, whereas lower scores indicate lower levels of experiential avoidance and greater psychological flexibility.
The Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ)
Time frame: Baseline and 1 month
The Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ) will be used to assess experiential avoidance across multiple domains. The scale contains 15 items derived from the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (MEAQ). With each item rated on a 6-point Likert scale, the total score ranges from 15 to 90. Higher scores indicate greater experiential avoidance, whereas lower scores indicate lower levels of experiential avoidance.
2 secondary outcomes
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7)
Time frame: Baseline and 1 month
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
Time frame: Baseline and 1 month
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 25 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data (IPD) will not be publicly shared due to concerns regarding participant privacy and confidentiality. The dataset contains potentially identifiable information related to mental health status. However, reasonable requests for access to de-identified data may be considered by the corresponding author.
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Emotional Distress and Anxiety, run by Xinghua Liu at 1 site in China.
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 1 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 25 Jun 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 China. 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?
Initial Excessive emotional Behaviors Scale (time frame: Baseline and 1 month). The study lists 3 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 25 Jun 2026.