Comparison of Positive Psychotherapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy for Depression

NCT ID: NCT02572921

Last Updated: 2015-10-09

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 60 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2014-05-31
• Study Completion Date: 2016-07-31

Brief Summary

This study evaluates the effects of the Positive Psychotherapy on depressive symptoms and on happiness compared with regular cognitive behavioral therapy.

Detailed Description

Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) focuses on increasing well-being and positive emotions rather than ameliorating deficits in contrast to standard psychotherapy.

A lack of positive emotions, engagement and felt meaning are typically viewed as consequences or mere correlates of depression, while the PPT suggests that these may be causal for depression. Therefore building positive emotion, engagement and meaning will alleviate depression.

Thus PPT may offer a new way to treat and prevent depression.

The aim of this study is to compare the effects of the Positive Psychotherapy on depressive symptoms, life satisfaction and happiness in comparison to standard cognitive behavior psychotherapy (regular cognitive behavioral therapy).

60 mildly to moderately depressed patients are randomly assigned to the Positive Psychotherapy group or the regular cognitive behavioral therapy group.

Both treatments (primary intervention group and control group) are conducted in an outpatient group therapy setting with 14 sessions and a duration of 2-hours-per-week in small groups of 6 or 7 patients.

Conditions

Depression

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Positive Psychotherapy

Experimental Group (Positive Psychotherapy)

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Positive Psychotherapy

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The Positive Psychotherapy Group Treatment was developed by Martin Seligman and Tayyab Rashid (2013) and consists of 14 weekly group sessions of 2 hours. The strictly manualized program includes the following components:

positive orientation and introduction, character strengths, signature strengths, good vs. bad memories, forgiveness, gratitude, satisficing vs. maximising, meaningful life, posttraumatic growth, hope and optimism, positive communication, signature strengths of others, savouring and slowness, altruism and the last session is about the integration of all these components to the "full life".

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Active Control Group (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

This well-established, cognitive-behavior group therapy was developed by Schaub, Roth and Goldmann (2006) and consists of 12 weekly group sessions of 2 hours. The strictly manualized program includes the following components: education, building up activities, cognitive restructuring, relapse prevention. Moreover, there are 2 sessions added to the standard program: one session concerning savouring and the other one concerning stress reduction. Thus the whole program consists of 14 sessions.

Interventions

Positive Psychotherapy

The Positive Psychotherapy Group Treatment was developed by Martin Seligman and Tayyab Rashid (2013) and consists of 14 weekly group sessions of 2 hours. The strictly manualized program includes the following components:

positive orientation and introduction, character strengths, signature strengths, good vs. bad memories, forgiveness, gratitude, satisficing vs. maximising, meaningful life, posttraumatic growth, hope and optimism, positive communication, signature strengths of others, savouring and slowness, altruism and the last session is about the integration of all these components to the "full life".

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Cognitive behavioral therapy

This well-established, cognitive-behavior group therapy was developed by Schaub, Roth and Goldmann (2006) and consists of 12 weekly group sessions of 2 hours. The strictly manualized program includes the following components: education, building up activities, cognitive restructuring, relapse prevention. Moreover, there are 2 sessions added to the standard program: one session concerning savouring and the other one concerning stress reduction. Thus the whole program consists of 14 sessions.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Clinical diagnosis of Depression (Major depressive disorder, recurrent: mild to moderate; Major depressive disorder, single episode: mild to moderate; Dysthymic disorder)
• Patients should be between age 18 and 60

Exclusion Criteria

• Any current treatment for depression
• Substance related or alcohol related disorder (within the last 12 months)
• Panic disorder
• Manic or hypomanic disorder
• Psychotic disorder * refusal to participate in a 14 weeks psychotherapy treatment

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

The Wagner-Jauregg Provincial Neuropsychiatric Clinic

INDIV

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Salzburg

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Mag. Linda Maria Furchtlehner

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Anton-Rupert Laireiter, Univ.-Prof.Dr.

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Paris Lodron University of Salzburg

Locations

Beratungsstelle für Klinische Psychologie, Psychotherapie und Gesundheitspsychologie

Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

Wagner-Jauregg- Hospital

Linz, Upper Austria, Austria

Countries

Austria

Other Identifiers

USalzburg

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id