Positive Emotion Promotion for Anhedonia in Children

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Vanderbilt University

Must not be taking: Antidepressants, others

Disqualifiers: MDD, Bipolar, Psychotic disorders, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 10

Duration: 8 weeks

60 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

If your child is taking medications for emotional or behavioral problems, they can continue only if they are on SSRIs or psychostimulants and have been on a stable dose for at least 6 weeks before joining the trial.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Family Promoting Positive Emotions, Positive Family Therapy, Family-Based Positive Psychology Intervention, Psychoeducation, Psychoeducational therapy, Educational therapy for anhedonia in children?

Research suggests that enhancing positive emotions and experiences can help reduce anhedonia, which is a lack of interest or pleasure in activities. Treatments that focus on increasing positive affect, like positive psychology interventions, have shown promise in improving symptoms of anhedonia by targeting reward systems in the brain. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is the Positive Emotion Promotion treatment safe for children?

The available research does not provide specific safety data for Positive Emotion Promotion treatments in children, but similar interventions targeting positive emotions and anhedonia in adults have not reported significant safety concerns. ^{1 2 3 4 6}

How does the Family Promoting Positive Emotions treatment differ from other treatments for anhedonia in children?

This treatment is unique because it focuses on promoting positive emotions within the family setting, using techniques from positive psychology and psychoeducation to enhance the child's ability to experience pleasure, unlike other treatments that primarily aim to reduce negative emotions. ^{1 2 3 4 7}

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial will test the effects of a positive emotion-focused preventive intervention on reward responsiveness in children of mothers with histories of depression and anhedonia.

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for children aged 8-12 with mothers who have experienced depression and anhedonia. Both must be fluent in English, live in the U.S., and have internet access for video calls. Excluded are those with psychotic disorders, severe sensory impairments, previous participation by a sibling, certain medication use (except stable SSRIs or psychostimulants), current major depression or anhedonia in children, developmental disabilities, recent mother's substance abuse, or any bipolar disorder history.

Inclusion Criteria

Child and mother have access to a computer or tablet and internet for videoconferencing

Child and biological mother can read and speak fluently in English

For compensation purposes, child and biological mothers must be U.S. citizens

Exclusion Criteria

I have not been diagnosed with major depression or experienced persistent sadness.

If your mother has been in the study with a sibling, you can't participate.

My child is on a stable dose of medication for emotional or behavioral issues, not including SSRIs, for 6 weeks.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive the Family Promoting Positive Emotion (F-PPE) intervention or a psychoeducation comparison condition through 8 telehealth sessions

8 weeks

8 telehealth sessions

Assessment

EEG assessments of neural reward responsiveness are conducted at baseline and halfway through the intervention

8 weeks

2 EEG assessments

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Family Promoting Positive Emotions
• Psychoeducation

Trial Overview The study examines if teaching families to focus on positive emotions can prevent loss of pleasure (anhedonia) in kids whose moms had depression. It involves family-based activities promoting happiness and education about mental health. Participants will engage through online sessions.

Participant Groups

Group I: Family Promoting Positive Emotions Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Group II: Psychoeducation Active Control 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Vanderbilt University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

714

Recruited

6,143,000+

Nationwide Children's Hospital

Collaborator

Trials

354

Recruited

5,228,000+

Findings from Research

Anhedonia, the inability to feel pleasure, is linked to reduced activity in brain systems related to dopamine and may contribute to the onset and relapse of drug addiction.

Preventive strategies, such as behavioral activation and positive psychology, can help individuals manage anhedonia and reduce the risk of drug misuse, suggesting that school-based programs could be effective in addressing this issue.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Substance misuse prevention: addressing anhedonia. Sussman, S., Leventhal, A.[2021]

The study aims to assess the feasibility of adding a positive mental imagery training (PMIT) module to standard inpatient mental health treatment, with a focus on increasing positive affect and reducing anhedonia in up to 90 patients over a 2-week period.

By comparing PMIT with cognitive control training and standard treatment alone, the research will provide insights into the potential effectiveness of PMIT as an adjunct therapy, which could lead to improved recovery outcomes in mental health settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Computerized positive mental imagery training versus cognitive control training versus treatment as usual in inpatient mental health settings: study protocol for a randomized controlled feasibility trial. Blackwell, SE., Westermann, K., Woud, ML., et al.[2022]

Recent approaches to treating anhedonia, a common symptom in depression and anxiety, focus on enhancing positive emotions by targeting the brain's reward systems, showing preliminary effectiveness in improving reward anticipation and responsiveness.

There is a need for more treatments that specifically address positive emotion regulation and to standardize how anhedonia is measured, which could help in understanding and improving long-term outcomes for individuals suffering from this condition.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Psychological Treatments for Anhedonia. Sandman, CF., Craske, MG.[2022]

Anhedonia, a key symptom of depression and other mental health disorders, is linked to poor long-term outcomes and is not effectively treated by current psychological or pharmacological methods, highlighting a significant therapeutic gap.

The paper introduces Positive Affect Treatment (PAT), a novel psychological intervention aimed at improving reward sensitivity and addressing the deficits in the appetitive reward system associated with anhedonia.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Treatment for Anhedonia: A Neuroscience Driven Approach. Craske, MG., Meuret, AE., Ritz, T., et al.[2022]

A personalized lifestyle advice intervention for young adults with anhedonia showed that changes in how individuals react to negative events may be a key mechanism for improving their positive affect (PA).

The study involved 69 participants and used the Experience Sampling Method to assess changes in pleasure and affect before and after the intervention, but did not find significant changes in reactivity to positive events.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Personalized lifestyle advice alters affective reactivity to negative events in anhedonic young adults. Schmitter, M., van Roekel, E., Heininga, VE., et al.[2021]

The Positive Emotions Programme for Schizophrenia (PEPS) significantly reduces anhedonia in patients with schizophrenia, as shown by improved scores on the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) after 8 weeks and sustained improvements at a 6-month follow-up.

In a study of 80 participants, those receiving PEPS alongside treatment as usual (TAU) demonstrated greater clinical improvements in anhedonia compared to those receiving only TAU, highlighting PEPS as an effective and easily implementable intervention.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improving Pleasure and Motivation in Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Favrod, J., Nguyen, A., Chaix, J., et al.[2020]

In a study of 134 young adults (66 anhedonic individuals and 68 controls), it was found that low levels of positive emotions in anhedonic individuals lead to decreased motivation, potentially creating a negative cycle of low pleasure and low motivation.

Interestingly, cheerfulness was identified as the most influential positive emotion in the anhedonic group, suggesting that interventions aimed at increasing cheerfulness could effectively enhance overall positive emotions and motivation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reciprocal associations between positive emotions and motivation in daily life: Network analyses in anhedonic individuals and healthy controls. van Roekel, E., Heininga, VE., Vrijen, C., et al.[2019]

References

1. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Substance misuse prevention: addressing anhedonia. [2021]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Computerized positive mental imagery training versus cognitive control training versus treatment as usual in inpatient mental health settings: study protocol for a randomized controlled feasibility trial. [2022]

3. Germany pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Psychological Treatments for Anhedonia. [2022]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Treatment for Anhedonia: A Neuroscience Driven Approach. [2022]

5. Netherlands pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Personalized lifestyle advice alters affective reactivity to negative events in anhedonic young adults. [2021]

6. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improving Pleasure and Motivation in Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. [2020]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reciprocal associations between positive emotions and motivation in daily life: Network analyses in anhedonic individuals and healthy controls. [2019]