Positive Psychology in Suicidal Patients

NCT ID: NCT02855736

Last Updated: 2016-08-04

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 206 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-09-30
• Study Completion Date: 2017-07-31

Brief Summary

Suicide is a major health concern. Weeks following psychiatric admission are a highly suicide risk period for those having current suicidal ideation or attempt. Recently, a pilot study suggested the feasibility of positive psychology in patients in suicidal crisis. Notably, gratitude exercises suggested improvement in optimism and hopelessness, two dimensions associated to suicide. Moreover, gratitude has been associated to suicidal ideation and attempt, independently from depression. Thus, investigators want to conduct the first randomized controlled study in order to assess effectiveness of gratitude exercises (vs control task) in suicidal inpatients, on 1) psychological pain reduction 2) suicidal ideation, hopelessness, optimism, depressive symptomatology, and anxiety improvement.

Detailed Description

Study design: monocentric randomized controlled study

Methods:

206 inpatients (Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Post Acute Care), between 18 and 65 years-old, having attempted suicide before hospitalisation or having current active suicidal ideation at the time of the psychiatric hospitalisation. Patients suffering from schizophrenia are excluded.

Randomization into two groups: Positive Psychology (i.e., gratitude journal) (n = 103) or Control Task (i.e., food journal) (n = 103), daily exercises during 7 days (in add-on from usual treatment).

Clinical assessment: 1) at baseline (the day before the intervention beginning) (V0); 2) short daily self-assessments (immediately before and after the exercise); 3) the day following the last day of the intervention (V1).

• V0 : socio-demographic data, treatments, psychopathology, suicidal ideation,depressive and anxious symptomatology, psychological pain, optimism, hopelessness.
• Daily self-assessments: psychological pain, optimism, hopelessness
• V1 : treatments suicidal ideation,depressive and anxious symptomatology, psychological pain, optimism, hopelessness, intervention satisfaction.

Conditions

Suicidal Thoughts; Suicidal Crisis

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Intervention group

Positive Psychology (gratitude journal)

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Positive Psychology

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Gratitude Journal (Emmons and Stern, 2013)

Every evening, patients have to write down the things they feel grateful about.

Control group

Alimentary list

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo (food journal)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Food journal (i.e. alimentary list):

Patients have to write down the list of foods eaten during the day.

Interventions

Positive Psychology

Gratitude Journal (Emmons and Stern, 2013)

Every evening, patients have to write down the things they feel grateful about.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Placebo (food journal)

Food journal (i.e. alimentary list):

Patients have to write down the list of foods eaten during the day.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Being hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or suicide attempt (from less than a week)
• Having signed informed consent
• Be fluent in French
• Able to understand nature, aims and methodology of the study

Exclusion Criteria

• Lifetime history of schizophrenia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - V (DSM-V) criteria
• Current eating disorder according to DSM-V criteria
• Patient on protective measures (guardianship or trusteeship)
• Deprived of liberty subject (judicial or administrative decision)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University Hospital, Montpellier

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Montpellier, Hérault, France

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

France

Central Contacts

Déborah DUCASSE, MD PhD

Role: CONTACT

d-ducasse@chu-montpellier.fr

+33 4 67 33 85 81

Facility Contacts

Catherine Genty, MD

Role: primary

c-genty@chu-montpellier.fr

+33 4 67 61 45 75

Other Identifiers

2015-A00358-41

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

UF 9557

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id