Psychological DistressGB- PPT&PCBTNCT07853352
Effectiveness of Group-based Positive Psychotherapy and Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Improving Psychological Distress, Coping Strategies, and Well-being Among Incarcerated Individuals.
A study testing Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) and Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PCBT) in people with Psychological Distress and Quality of Life, run by Bahria University at 4 sites in Pakistan.
Trial summary
The foremost idea of the proposed research is to highlight the impact of psychological distress and coping strategies on the wellbeing of individuals in incarceration. In Pakistan, there is limited literature available to support the psychological wellbeing of individuals in incarceration. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 13 to 40 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Psychological Distress, Quality of Life, Coping Strategies
- What is being tested?
- Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) and Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PCBT)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 180 participants
- Where
- 4 sitesPakistan
- Study dates
- 16 Dec 2025to Apr 2027
- 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 13 to 40 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Individuals with first time offense
- Minimum duration of incarceration: 3 months.
- Must have a score falling in the mild to severe range for depression and/or anxiety and a score below 6.4 on the PERMA profiler.
- Urdu understanding and ability to comprehend measures
Who cannot join
- not falling in the age criteria
- having a history of repeated crime
- under any pharmacological and psychological treatment.
- Individuals with types of crimes such as murder and rape were not included.
Trial locations and contacts
4 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Pakistan4 sites, 1 recruiting
- Completed
Central Prison and Correctional Facility for Women Karachi
Karachi, Sindh
- Active, not recruiting
Central Prison and Correctional Facility Karachi
Karachi, Sindh
- Recruiting
District Prison & Correctional Facility Malir Karachi
Karachi, Sindh
Bilawal Khumbar ASP, 009221-99231418, sindhprisons@gmail.com
- Active, not recruiting
Youthful Offenders Industrial School (YOIS)
Karachi East, Sindh
About this study
Official title: Effectiveness of Group-based Positive Psychotherapy and Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Improving Psychological Distress, Coping Strategies, and Well-being Among Incarcerated Individuals
The foremost idea of the proposed research is to highlight the impact of psychological distress and coping strategies on the wellbeing of individuals in incarceration. In Pakistan, there is limited literature available to support the psychological wellbeing of individuals in incarceration. The current research will not only explore the impact of psychological distress and coping strategies on the wellbeing of inmates. In addition, the research will also aim to investigate the effectiveness of group-based interventions, which includes Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) and Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PCBT) in improving psychological distress, coping strategies, and wellbeing of Incarcerated Individuals.
- Conditions
- Psychological Distress, Quality of Life, Coping Strategies
- Being tested
- Positive Psychotherapy (PPT), Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PCBT), Waitlist Control Group
- Keywords
- PPT, PCBT, Incarcerated Individuals, Psychological Distress, Quality of Life
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Positive Psychotherapy (PPT)Behavioural
The participants in this experimental group will receive intervention; treatment plan based on a strong foundation of positive psychology for enhancing positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment by building up individuals' inner skill sets, including strengths and achievements, to manage their psychological distress to improve their quality of life.
The intervention plan is designed to employ 8 PPT exercises, including a positive introduction, three good things, using character strengths in a way, positive cognitive reappraisal, active constructive responding, savouring, gratitude letters and forgiveness letters.
Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PCBT)Behavioural
Also called PCBT
In this experimental group, the participants will receive an intervention plan based on incorporating positive psychology and solution-focused brief therapy (Bannink \& Geschwind, 2021) within the model of cognitive behavioral therapy. The 8-week session plan emphasizes on what is better, exploring the existing resources and self-monitoring to improve wellbeing and quality of life.
Waitlist Control GroupOther
Participants allocated to this group will be considered as on the waitlist during the active data collection period. This group will serve as a comparison group to see the effectiveness of PPT and PCBT.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) | Experimental | The participants in this experimental group will receive intervention; treatment plan based on a strong foundation of positive psychology for enhancing positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment by building up individuals' inner skill sets, including strengths and achievements, to manage their psychological distress to improve their quality of life. Receives: Behavioral: Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) |
| Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PCBT) | Experimental | In this experimental group, the participants will receive an intervention plan based on incorporating positive psychology and solution-focused brief therapy (Bannink \& Geschwind, 2021) within the model of cognitive behavioral therapy. Receives: Behavioral: Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PCBT) |
| Waitlist Control Group | Other | The participants who will be assigned to this group will be on the waitlist during the active research period. Post-test will be collected at the time as the experimental group to compare the results. After the completion of research data, waitlist participants will be offered and invited to enrol for intervention. Receives: Other: Waitlist Control Group |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Psychological Distress
Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale DASS-21 is a self-report questionnaire designed to examine three negative emotional states. The scale has 21 items, with 7 items for each subdomain.
Measured: Baseline and 8th Week
PERMA Profiler
23-item questionnaire for assessing five elements, including positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment), along with negative emotion and health.
Measured: Baseline and 8th Week
Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory
Self-report 28-item questionnaire to measure coping with sress
Measured: Baseline and 8th Week
Secondary outcomes (1)
Character Strengths
72-item Character Strength Survey to assess 24 universal character strengths.
Measured: Baseline and 8th week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Oct 2026
- Study start16 Dec 2025
- Primary completion31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionApr 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Psychological 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
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Bahria University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Mahum Azhaar, Bahria University
- Investigators
- Mahum Azhaar, Principal investigator, Institute of Professional Psychology, Bahria University Karachi
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07853352
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- No.IPP/ERC/OM/31315/2025
- Other IDs
- No.IPP/ERC/OM/31315/2025
- Acronym
- GB- PPT&PCBT
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 26 Sep 2026
- Last updated
- 1 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Due to the nature of the research participants and as per the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for research and mental health sessions inside Sindh prison, the researcher has signed to comit full compilance with prison rules and guidelines to ensure confidentiality and data protection.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effectiveness of Group-based Positive Psychotherapy and Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Improving Psychological Distress, Coping Strategies, and Well-being Among Incarcerated Individuals
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07853352
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- GB- PPT&PCBT / No.IPP/ERC/OM/31315/2025
- Conditions
- Psychological Distress, Quality of Life, Coping Strategies
- Keywords
- PPT, PCBT, Incarcerated Individuals, Psychological Distress, Quality of Life
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Bahria UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 16 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Apr 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 1 Oct 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.
The foremost idea of the proposed research is to highlight the impact of psychological distress and coping strategies on the wellbeing of individuals in incarceration. In Pakistan, there is limited literature available to support the psychological wellbeing of individuals in incarceration. The current research will not only explore the impact of psychological distress and coping strategies on the wellbeing of inmates. In addition, the research will also aim to investigate the effectiveness of group-based interventions, which includes Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) and Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PCBT) in improving psychological distress, coping strategies, and wellbeing of Incarcerated Individuals.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) | Experimental | Behavioral: Positive Psychotherapy (PPT)The participants in this experimental group will receive intervention; treatment plan based on a strong foundation of positive psychology for enhancing positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment by building up individuals' inner skill sets, including strengths and achievements, to manage their psychological distress to improve their quality of life. |
| Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PCBT) | Experimental | Behavioral: Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PCBT)In this experimental group, the participants will receive an intervention plan based on incorporating positive psychology and solution-focused brief therapy (Bannink \& Geschwind, 2021) within the model of cognitive behavioral therapy. |
| Waitlist Control Group | Other | Other: Waitlist Control GroupThe participants who will be assigned to this group will be on the waitlist during the active research period. Post-test will be collected at the time as the experimental group to compare the results. After the completion of research data, waitlist participants will be offered and invited to enrol for intervention. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 13 to 40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Individuals with first time offense
- Minimum duration of incarceration: 3 months.
- Must have a score falling in the mild to severe range for depression and/or anxiety and a score below 6.4 on the PERMA profiler.
- Urdu understanding and ability to comprehend measures
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- not falling in the age criteria
- having a history of repeated crime
- under any pharmacological and psychological treatment.
- Individuals with types of crimes such as murder and rape were not included.
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 Psychotherapy (PPT)The participants in this experimental group will receive intervention; treatment plan based on a strong foundation of positive psychology for enhancing positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment by building up individuals' inner skill sets, including strengths and achievements, to manage their psychological distress to improve their quality of life. The intervention plan is designed to employ 8 PPT exercises, including a positive introduction, three good things, using character strengths in a way, positive cognitive reappraisal, active constructive responding, savouring, gratitude letters and forgiveness letters. | Behavioural | Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) |
| Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PCBT)Also: PCBTIn this experimental group, the participants will receive an intervention plan based on incorporating positive psychology and solution-focused brief therapy (Bannink \& Geschwind, 2021) within the model of cognitive behavioral therapy. The 8-week session plan emphasizes on what is better, exploring the existing resources and self-monitoring to improve wellbeing and quality of life. | Behavioural | Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PCBT) |
| Waitlist Control GroupParticipants allocated to this group will be considered as on the waitlist during the active data collection period. This group will serve as a comparison group to see the effectiveness of PPT and PCBT. | Other | Waitlist Control Group |
Primary outcome
Psychological Distress
Time frame: Baseline and 8th Week
Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale DASS-21 is a self-report questionnaire designed to examine three negative emotional states. The scale has 21 items, with 7 items for each subdomain.
PERMA Profiler
Time frame: Baseline and 8th Week
23-item questionnaire for assessing five elements, including positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment), along with negative emotion and health.
Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory
Time frame: Baseline and 8th Week
Self-report 28-item questionnaire to measure coping with sress
1 secondary outcome
Character Strengths
Time frame: Baseline and 8th week
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 1 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Due to the nature of the research participants and as per the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for research and mental health sessions inside Sindh prison, the researcher has signed to comit full compilance with prison rules and guidelines to ensure confidentiality and data protection.
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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.
District Prison & Correctional Facility Malir Karachi
Karachi, Pakistan
Mahum Azhaar principal investigator
Institute of Professional Psychology, Bahria University Karachi
4 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) and Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PCBT) in people with Psychological Distress and Quality of Life, run by Bahria University at 4 sites in Pakistan.
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 4 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 4 sites in Pakistan. 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?
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?
Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Psychological Distress (time frame: Baseline and 8th Week). 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 1 Oct 2026.