Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37385663›Full record

Trial reportBMJ mental health2023

Positive affect training to reduce mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic: a proof-of-concept randomised clinical trial.

Richard Bryant, Katie Dawson, Suzanna Azevedo, Srishti Yadav, Jenny Tran, Jasmine Choi-Christou, Elpiniki Andrew, Joanne Beames, Dharani Keyan

Open access · diamondAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMJ mental health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Richard BryantSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia r.bryant@unsw.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0002-9607-819X
Katie DawsonSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Suzanna AzevedoSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Srishti YadavSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Jenny TranSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Jasmine Choi-ChristouSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Elpiniki AndrewSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Joanne BeamesSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Dharani KeyanSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
UNSW Sydney · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe social restrictions occurring during the pandemic contributed to loss of many sources of reward, which contributes to poor mental health.

objectiveThis trial evaluated a brief positive affect training programme to reduce anxiety, depression and suicidality during the pandemic.

methodsIn this single-blind, parallel, randomised controlled trial, adults who screened positive for COVID-19-related psychological distress across Australia were randomly allocated to either a 6-session group-based programme based on positive affect training (n=87) or enhanced usual care (EUC, n=87). Primary outcome was total score on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-anxiety and depression subscales assessed at baseline, 1-week post-treatment, 3 months (primary outcome time point) as well as secondary outcome measures of suicidality, generalised anxiety disorder, sleep impairment, positive and negative mood and COVID-19-related stress.

findingsBetween 20 September 2020 and 16 September 2021, 174 participants were enrolled into the trial. Relative to EUC, at 3-month follow-up the intervention led to greater reduction on depression (mean difference 1.2 (95% CI 0.4 to 1.9)), p=0.003), with a moderate effect size (0.5 (95% CI 0.2 to 0.9)). There were also greater reduction of suicidality and improvement in quality of life. There were no differences in anxiety, generalised anxiety, anhedonia, sleep impairment, positive or negative mood or COVID-19 concerns.

conclusionsThis intervention was able to reduce depression and suicidality during adverse experiences when rewarding events were diminished, such as pandemics. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Strategies to improve positive affect may be useful to reduce mental health issues. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12620000811909.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdultHumansMental HealthPandemicsQuality of LifeSingle-Blind Methodanxiety disordersCOVID-19depression & mood disorderssuicide & self-harm

Identifiers

PMID37385663
PMCPMC10577780
OpenAlexW4382632161

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.