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NCT Number: NCT07558772

Conceptualization and Scale Development of Excessive Emotional Behaviors

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Emotional Distress Anxiety Anxiety Disorders Depression Anxiety Disorder Mental Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Peking University

Beijing, Beijing Municipality, 100871, China

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

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

Exclusion criteria

Acute psychotic episode or other severe psychiatric disorder that would interfere with study participation Cognitive impairment that would prevent effective participation in the study

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7)

    Time frame: Baseline and 1 month

    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.

  2. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

    Time frame: Baseline and 1 month

    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.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Xinghua Liu

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Development and Validation of the Excessive Emotional Behaviors Scale: Long and Short Forms Among Chinese Adults With Emotional Distress

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Apr 30, 2026
Registry last updated
Jun 25, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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