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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05040061

SkillJoy Clinical Trial

This study is a randomized controlled trial comparing a smartphone-delivered savoring intervention (SkillJoy) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder to an active treatment control.

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Key information

Conditions

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Anxiety Disorders Mental Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, New York, 12866, United States

About this study

The current study seeks to determine if the positivity intervention SkillJoy, a smartphone-based, ecological momentary intervention (EMI), can reduce worry and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms, increase positive emotion and wellbeing, improve reinforcement and probabilistic learning, increase savoring and reduce kill-joy thinking, and decrease avoidance of negative emotional shifts relative to an active treatment control in a GAD sample. Skills for generating positive emotion may reduce symptoms and increase well-being for those with GAD. To test this approach, participants with GAD were randomly assigned to either a savoring treatment or a self-monitoring control.The savoring treatment consisted of an ecological momentary intervention (EMI) for learning and practicing savoring skills-SkillJoy. SkillJoy prompted participants to attend to positive aspects of the present moment, plan and engage in enjoyable activities, record and reflect on positive experiences, note events that turned out well, and look forward to positive events. The active self-monitoring control EMI consisted of similar activities, but they all omitted savoring practices. These activities included attending to any current thoughts and feelings, planning everyday activities, remembering and recording daily events, and anticipating important events. Both EMIs were delivered by apps on participants' smartphones for seven days with 30th day follow-up. Secondarily, the current study will assess differences between those with GAD and non-anxious controls on a computerized probabilistic reinforcement learning task and baseline savoring questionnaires.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Meet clinical criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder on the GAD-Q-IV and the GAD section of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).
  • Must be at least 18 years old to participate.
  • Pregnant women will be allowed to participate.

Exclusion criteria

  • They do not meet criteria for GAD on the GAD-Q-IV and the INI or do not fall one standard deviation below the subject pool mean on the GAD-Q-IV (i.e., they fall between these two scores).
  • They are younger than 18 years of age.
  • They do not speak English.
  • They are adults unable to consent.

Treatment and study plan

SkillJoy Intervention

Behavioral

The savoring treatment consisted of an ecological momentary intervention (EMI) for learning and practicing savoring skills-SkillJoy. SkillJoy prompted participants to attend to positive aspects of the present moment, plan and engage in enjoyable activities, record and reflect on positive experiences, note events that turned out well, and look forward to positive events.

Active Self-Monitoring Control Intervention

Behavioral

The active self-monitoring control EMI prompted participants to notice and write current thoughts and feelings, plan the day's major activities, remember and write about their daily events, and anticipate upcoming important events.

Primary outcomes

  1. Pre- to Post-Trial and Pre-Trial to Follow-Up Change in The Penn State Worry Questionnaire

    Time frame: 8 day post-trial; 30th day follow-up

    A 16-item self-report scale of the severity and frequency of worry. Min. score of 16 and maximum score of 80. Decreases in scores suggest a better outcome.

  2. Pre- to Post-Trial and Pre-Trial to Follow-Up Change in The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Expanded Form: Joviality Scale

    Time frame: 8 day post-trial; 30th day follow-up

    An 8-item measure of positive emotions. Min. score of 8 and maximum score of 40. Increases in scores suggest a better outcome.

  3. Pre- to Post-Trial and Pre-Trial to Follow-Up Change in The Savoring the Moment Subscale of the Savoring Beliefs Inventory

    Time frame: 8 day post-trial; 30th day follow-up

    The SBI is a 14-item survey that measures beliefs about one's ability to savor. The savoring the moment subscale measures savoring of present-moment emotional experience. Min. score of 1 and maximum score of 7. Increases in scores suggest a better outcome.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Pre- to Post-Trial and Pre-Trial to Follow-Up Change in Responses to Positive Affect Scale: Dampening Subscale

    Time frame: 8 day post-trial; 30th day follow-up

    Measure kill-joy thinking (a.k.a. "dampening"). Participants rated eight dampening items on a 5-point scale. Min. score of 8 and maximum score of 32. Decreases in scores suggest a better outcome.

  2. Pre- to Post-Trial and Pre-Trial to Follow-Up Change in The Prioritizing Positivity Scale

    Time frame: 8 day post-trial; 30th day follow-up

    Measures the degree to which participants prioritized seeking positive experiences on six items with which participants either agree or disagree on a nine-point scale. Min. score of 6 and maximum score of 54. Increases in scores suggest a better outcome.

  3. Pre- to Post-Trial and Pre-Trial to Follow-Up Change in The Life Orientation Test - Revised

    Time frame: 8 day post-trial; 30th day follow-up

    Measures optimism. It has 10 items rated on a four-point scale. Min. score of 6 and maximum score of 30. Increases in scores suggest a better outcome.

  4. Pre- to Post-Trial and Pre-Trial to Follow-Up Change in The Beck Depression Inventory II

    Time frame: 8 day post-trial; 30th day follow-up

    A 21-item self-report survey that measures the presence and severity of depressive symptoms. Minimum score of 0 and maximum score of 63. Decreases in scores suggest a better outcome.

  5. Pre- to Post-Trial and Pre-Trial to Follow-Up Change in Contrast Avoidance Questionnaire - Worry

    Time frame: 5 day mid-trial; 8 day post-trial; 30th day follow-up

    Measures frequency, severity, and motivation to use worry to cope with negative shifts in emotion and benefit from positive shifts in emotion. Min. score of 30 and maximum score of 150. Decreases in scores suggest a better outcome.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Skidmore College

Other

Collaborators

  • Penn State University

Registry information

Official study title

SkillJoy Randomized Controlled Trial: Testing a Smartphone Intervention for Anxiety and Reinforcement

Acronym: SkillJoy

Important dates

Study start
2018
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Sep 10, 2021
Registry last updated
Sep 10, 2021

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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