StressNCT07594080
Biomarkers of Environment Sensitivity
A study testing Williams Life Skills Stress Management Training in people with Stress and Mental Health and General Well-being, run by Semmelweis University at 1 site in Hungary.
Trial summary
Most of the common mental disorders are heritable to a certain extent but environmental factors have an important role influencing whether the disorder will develop or not. These factors can be negative (e.g. loss of job or death of a loved one) that increase the risk of disorders but also positive (e.g. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 25 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Stress, Mental Health and General Well-being
- What is being tested?
- Williams Life Skills Stress Management Training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 125 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHungary
- Study dates
- 1 Nov 2022to 31 Oct 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 to 25 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Stable mental state
- Right-handed
- Not taking regular medication (exception: in females, the use of hormonal contraceptives and oral iron supplements is permitted)
Who cannot join
- Current somatic or neurological disorder, or a history of such conditions that may affect neurophysiological functioning (poor physical health may influence mental state and thereby affect the results)
- Current or past major psychiatric disorder based on medical history or according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, with the exception of unipolar depression, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders, provided that:
- the participant is currently asymptomatic or exhibits only mild residual symptoms,
- the disorder does not cause significant functional impairment or distress, and
- there is no absolute indication for pharmacological treatment
- Risky or endangering behavior, or lack of adequate insight into illness
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- Regular use of medication (exception: in females, the use of hormonal contraceptives and oral iron supplements is permitted)
- Alcoholism or other substance abuse
- Contraindications for fMRI participation: Metal implants that may compromise participant safety during scanning or cause artifacts in image acquisition
- Pregnancy
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Genetic and Brain Correlates of Sensitivity to Positive and Negative Environment: New Predictive Markers of Stress Management Intervention Outcome
Most of the common mental disorders are heritable to a certain extent but environmental factors have an important role influencing whether the disorder will develop or not. These factors can be negative (e.g. loss of job or death of a loved one) that increase the risk of disorders but also positive (e.g. friends that provide support in need or doing sport regularly) that prevent the development of symptoms. This study investigates whether those who are sensitive to negative impacts may be also more sensitive to positive circumstances. If this is true, improving the environment of these people, for example offering psychotherapy, may help them more than to those who are not sensitive to the environment. More than 500 000 participants' genetic data is used to investigate which genetic factors are associated with sensitivity to environment. This information will be used to determine genetic sensitivity to environment in independent participants who went through functional magnetic resonance brain imaging. Therefore, the study will examine whether sensitive and non-sensitive peoples' brain respond differently to positive and negative stimuli. Finally, tests will determine how sensitivity to environment influences the effectiveness of an intervention that psychologists use to improve stress coping in young adults. This method aims to identify biomarkers to predict the effectiveness of this intervention. In summary, the study will enhance the understanding of why some people are more sensitive to environmental influences and how this information can be utilized to select the most suitable therapy for them.
- Conditions
- Stress, Mental Health and General Well-being
- Being tested
- Williams Life Skills Stress Management Training, Placebo Intervention
- Medical subject headings
- Psychological Well-Being
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Williams Life Skills Stress Management TrainingBehavioural
The Hungarian version (http://www.eletkeszsegek.hu) of Williams LifeSkills experience (Williams RB, Williams VP. Adaptation and implementation of an evidence-based behavioral medicine program in diverse global settings: The Williams LifeSkills experience. Transl Behav Med. 2011 Jun;1(2):303-12. doi: 10.1007/s13142-011-0030-6.) was used as intervention.
Placebo InterventionBehavioural
Seminars about stress biology structured similarly as in the active arm.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Stress handling training | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Williams Life Skills Stress Management Training |
| Placebo intervention | Placebo comparator | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Placebo Intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in negative psychological symptoms
Changes in Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) score is expected (Lovibond PF \& Lovibond SH (1995) Behav Res Ther 33(3):335-343.). The scale involves the assessment of depression, anxiety, and stress-with a total score range between 0 and 21 for each subscale, which is multiplied by 2 for final scoring (0 to 42 per scale). For the Depression scale, scores between 10 and 13 mean mild depression, 14 to 20 moderate depression, 21 to 27 severe depression, and 28 or above extremely severe depression. For the Anxiety scale, scores between 8 and 9 mean mild anxiety, 10 to 14 moderate anxiety, 15 to 19 severe anxiety, and 20 or above extremely severe anxiety. For the Stress scale, scores between 15 and 18 mean mild stress, 19 to 25 moderate stress, 26 to 33 severe stress, and 34 or above extremely severe stress.
Measured: From baseline at enrollment to after the first exam period (approximately 3-5 months), after the second exam period (approximately 7-10 months), and after the third exam period (approximately 14-17 months)
Change in somatic symptoms
Changes in Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) scores (Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, \& Williams JBW (2002) The PHQ-15: Validity of a new measure for evaluating the severity of somatic symptoms. Psychosom Med 64(2):258-266.) is expected. The scale involves the assessment of somatic symptom severity and the potential presence of somatization, with a score range between 0 and 30. Scores between 5 and 9 mean mild somatic symptom severity, 10 to 14 moderate somatic symptom severity, and 15 or above severe somatic symptom severity
Measured: From baseline at enrollment to after the first exam period (approximately 3-5 months), after the second exam period (approximately 7-10 months), and after the third exam period (approximately 14-17 months)
Change in positive psychological indicators
Changes in Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) (Keyes CLM (2006) Mental health in adolescence: Is America's youth flourishing? Am J Orthopsychiat 76(3):395-402.) is expected. The scale involves the assessment of positive mental health across three domains-emotional, social, and psychological well-being-with a total continuous score range between 0 and 70, where higher scores indicate greater overall well-being.
Measured: From baseline at enrollment to after the first exam period (approximately 3-5 months), after the second exam period (approximately 7-10 months), and after the third exam period (approximately 14-17 months)
Change in coping strategies
Changes in Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS-48) (Endler NS, Parker JDA, \& Butcher JN (1993) A Factor-Analytic Study of Coping Styles and the Mmpi-2 Content Scales. J Clin Psychol 49(4):523-527.) is expected. The scale involves the assessment of an individual's multidimensional coping styles in response to stress, with each of its three primary subscales (yielding a subscale score range between 16 and 80). Scores are converted to standardized T-scores (M=50, SD=10) compared against gender- and age-specific norm groups. Higher comparative scores on the Task-Oriented coping subscale mean a dominant tendency to utilize purposeful, problem-focused action. Higher scores on the Emotion-Oriented subscale mean a dominant tendency to focus on emotional distress, self-blame, or somatic responses. Higher scores on the Avoidance-Oriented subscale mean a dominant tendency to cognitively or behaviorally disengage.
Measured: From baseline at enrollment to after the first exam period (approximately 3-5 months), after the second exam period (approximately 7-10 months), and after the third exam period (approximately 14-17 months)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 May 2026
- Study start1 Nov 2022
- Primary completion31 Mar 2026
- Study completion31 Oct 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for StressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Semmelweis 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 125 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Semmelweis University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Research, Development and Innovation Office, Hungary
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Dr. Juhász Gabriella, Semmelweis University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07594080
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- K143391
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 11 May 2026
- Last updated
- 2 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Genetic and Brain Correlates of Sensitivity to Positive and Negative Environment: New Predictive Markers of Stress Management Intervention Outcome
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07594080
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- K143391
- Conditions
- Stress, Mental Health and General Well-being
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 125 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Semmelweis UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Research, Development and Innovation Office, Hungary
- Study start
- 1 Nov 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 18 May 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.
Most of the common mental disorders are heritable to a certain extent but environmental factors have an important role influencing whether the disorder will develop or not. These factors can be negative (e.g. loss of job or death of a loved one) that increase the risk of disorders but also positive (e.g. friends that provide support in need or doing sport regularly) that prevent the development of symptoms. This study investigates whether those who are sensitive to negative impacts may be also more sensitive to positive circumstances. If this is true, improving the environment of these people, for example offering psychotherapy, may help them more than to those who are not sensitive to the environment. More than 500 000 participants' genetic data is used to investigate which genetic factors are associated with sensitivity to environment. This information will be used to determine genetic sensitivity to environment in independent participants who went through functional magnetic resonance brain imaging. Therefore, the study will examine whether sensitive and non-sensitive peoples' brain respond differently to positive and negative stimuli. Finally, tests will determine how sensitivity to environment influences the effectiveness of an intervention that psychologists use to improve stress coping in young adults. This method aims to identify biomarkers to predict the effectiveness of this intervention. In summary, the study will enhance the understanding of why some people are more sensitive to environmental influences and how this information can be utilized to select the most suitable therapy for them.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Stress handling training | Experimental | Behavioral: Williams Life Skills Stress Management Training |
| Placebo intervention | Placebo comparator | Behavioral: Placebo Intervention |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Stable mental state
- Right-handed
- Not taking regular medication (exception: in females, the use of hormonal contraceptives and oral iron supplements is permitted)
Key exclusion criteria (10 listed)
- Current somatic or neurological disorder, or a history of such conditions that may affect neurophysiological functioning (poor physical health may influence mental state and thereby affect the results)
- Current or past major psychiatric disorder based on medical history or according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, with the exception of unipolar depression, anxiety disorders, and eating disorders, provided that:
- Risky or endangering behavior, or lack of adequate insight into illness
- Regular use of medication (exception: in females, the use of hormonal contraceptives and oral iron supplements is permitted)
- Alcoholism or other substance abuse
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Williams Life Skills Stress Management TrainingThe Hungarian version (http://www.eletkeszsegek.hu) of Williams LifeSkills experience (Williams RB, Williams VP. Adaptation and implementation of an evidence-based behavioral medicine program in diverse global settings: The Williams LifeSkills experience. Transl Behav Med. 2011 Jun;1(2):303-12. doi: 10.1007/s13142-011-0030-6.) was used as intervention. | Behavioural | Stress handling training |
| Placebo InterventionSeminars about stress biology structured similarly as in the active arm. | Behavioural | Placebo intervention |
Primary outcome
Change in negative psychological symptoms
Time frame: From baseline at enrollment to after the first exam period (approximately 3-5 months), after the second exam period (approximately 7-10 months), and after the third exam period (approximately 14-17 months)
Changes in Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) score is expected (Lovibond PF \& Lovibond SH (1995) Behav Res Ther 33(3):335-343.). The scale involves the assessment of depression, anxiety, and stress-with a total score range between 0 and 21 for each subscale, which is multiplied by 2 for final scoring (0 to 42 per scale). For the Depression scale, scores between 10 and 13 mean mild depression, 14 to 20 moderate depression, 21 to 27 severe depression, and 28 or above extremely severe depression. For the Anxiety scale, scores between 8 and 9 mean mild anxiety, 10 to 14 moderate anxiety, 15 to 19 severe anxiety, and 20 or above extremely severe anxiety. For the Stress scale, scores between 15 and 18 mean mild stress, 19 to 25 moderate stress, 26 to 33 severe stress, and 34 or above extremely severe stress.
Change in somatic symptoms
Time frame: From baseline at enrollment to after the first exam period (approximately 3-5 months), after the second exam period (approximately 7-10 months), and after the third exam period (approximately 14-17 months)
Changes in Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) scores (Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, \& Williams JBW (2002) The PHQ-15: Validity of a new measure for evaluating the severity of somatic symptoms. Psychosom Med 64(2):258-266.) is expected. The scale involves the assessment of somatic symptom severity and the potential presence of somatization, with a score range between 0 and 30. Scores between 5 and 9 mean mild somatic symptom severity, 10 to 14 moderate somatic symptom severity, and 15 or above severe somatic symptom severity
Change in positive psychological indicators
Time frame: From baseline at enrollment to after the first exam period (approximately 3-5 months), after the second exam period (approximately 7-10 months), and after the third exam period (approximately 14-17 months)
Changes in Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) (Keyes CLM (2006) Mental health in adolescence: Is America's youth flourishing? Am J Orthopsychiat 76(3):395-402.) is expected. The scale involves the assessment of positive mental health across three domains-emotional, social, and psychological well-being-with a total continuous score range between 0 and 70, where higher scores indicate greater overall well-being.
Change in coping strategies
Time frame: From baseline at enrollment to after the first exam period (approximately 3-5 months), after the second exam period (approximately 7-10 months), and after the third exam period (approximately 14-17 months)
Changes in Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS-48) (Endler NS, Parker JDA, \& Butcher JN (1993) A Factor-Analytic Study of Coping Styles and the Mmpi-2 Content Scales. J Clin Psychol 49(4):523-527.) is expected. The scale involves the assessment of an individual's multidimensional coping styles in response to stress, with each of its three primary subscales (yielding a subscale score range between 16 and 80). Scores are converted to standardized T-scores (M=50, SD=10) compared against gender- and age-specific norm groups. Higher comparative scores on the Task-Oriented coping subscale mean a dominant tendency to utilize purposeful, problem-focused action. Higher scores on the Emotion-Oriented subscale mean a dominant tendency to focus on emotional distress, self-blame, or somatic responses. Higher scores on the Avoidance-Oriented subscale mean a dominant tendency to cognitively or behaviorally disengage.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Jun 2026.
- 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.
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?
A study testing Williams Life Skills Stress Management Training in people with Stress and Mental Health and General Well-being, run by Semmelweis University at 1 site in Hungary.
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 3 inclusion and 10 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 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 Hungary. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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 negative psychological symptoms (time frame: From baseline at enrollment to after the first exam period (approximately 3-5 months), after the second exam period (approximately 7-10 months), and after the third exam period (approximately 14-17 months)). 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 2 Jun 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 2 Nov 2026.