Positive Emotion Skills for Healthy Aging
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
This trial aims to determine how learning positive emotion skills online affects aging and well-being. It investigates whether boosting positive emotions can improve mental health by reducing depression and anxiety and influencing biological markers of aging. The study compares two groups: one learning these skills over six weeks and another on a waitlist receiving usual care. Suitable candidates are adults aged 40 to 70, living in the Chicagoland area, who can access the program online and travel for in-person visits. Individuals with certain health conditions, such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes, are not eligible to participate. As an unphased study, this trial offers a unique opportunity to contribute to research that could enhance mental health and well-being.
What prior data suggests that this positive psychology intervention is safe?
Research has shown that the Positive Affect Regulation Skills (PARK) program is generally safe for participants. This online course teaches methods to increase positive feelings and aims to help manage stress and improve well-being.
Studies have found that using these positive emotion skills can reduce stress without causing harm. For example, one study found that participants who used these skills felt less stressed and did not experience any serious side effects.
In conclusion, the PARK program appears well-tolerated. Participants in previous studies did not report any major problems, suggesting that the program is safe to use in this trial.12345Why are researchers excited about this trial?
Researchers are excited about the Positive Emotion Skills Intervention because it takes a novel approach to healthy aging by focusing on emotional well-being. Unlike traditional treatments that often center around medication or physical health, this intervention uses the PARK (Positive Affect Regulation sKills) Course, a 6-week online program designed to teach participants how to cultivate positive emotions. By enhancing emotional resilience, it aims to improve overall quality of life, which is a fresh perspective in the realm of aging research.
What evidence suggests that the Positive Emotion Skills Intervention is effective for healthy aging?
Research shows that learning positive emotion skills can improve mental health by reducing anxiety and depression. Studies have found that older adults using these skills often feel happier and less lonely. Evidence also suggests these skills might slow aging by affecting cellular aging and improving heart health. Previous research indicates that teaching these skills online makes them accessible and effective for enhancing overall health. In this trial, participants will receive the PARK (Positive Affect Regulation sKills Course) intervention, designed to teach positive emotion skills. Programs like PARK show promise for improving well-being and possibly slowing aging.12456
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This trial is for adults interested in improving their emotional well-being and measures of healthy aging. Participants should be willing to engage with an online positive psychology program. Specific eligibility criteria are not provided, so it's best to contact the study organizers for detailed requirements.Inclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Treatment
Participants receive the 6-week online intervention, PARK (Positive Affect Regulation sKills Course)
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for psychological and biological outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months post-baseline
Waitlist Control Follow-up
Control group participants receive usual care and have the option to access the PARK platform after 12 months
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Positive Emotion Skills Intervention
Trial Overview
The PARK intervention, a self-guided online program teaching positive emotion skills, is being tested for its impact on psychological well-being and biological markers of aging like DNA methylation age and heart health as measured by ECG.
How Is the Trial Designed?
2
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Participants will receive the 6-week online intervention, PARK (Positive Affect Regulation sKills Course).
The waitlist control condition will receive usual care in the Human Longevity Lab, which consists of a feedback report on biological age and lifestyle counseling from a clinical provider at the end of the study period. Control condition participants will have the option to gain access to the PARK platform and learn positive emotion skills after their study participation is completed at the end of 12 months.
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Northwestern University
Lead Sponsor
Potocsnak Human Longevity Lab
Collaborator
Citations
Emotional Well-being and Measures of Healthy Aging
This randomized control study is designed to understand the role of a positive psychology intervention (PARK: Positive Affect Regulation ...
What do we know about aging and emotion regulation?
In this paper, I review key theories and current evidence on age differences in the use and effectiveness of emotion regulation strategies from a range of ...
Positive Affect Regulation sKills at Northwestern University
The goal of the proposed program, PARK, is to reduce feelings of anxiety, depression, and social isolation, as well as increase well-being and a sense of ...
The effect of age on emotion regulation patterns in daily life ...
The findings revealed reduced emotion regulation variability with age and a negative association between emotion regulation variability and well ...
Age and emotion regulation in daily life: Frequency ...
If older adults are more effective at regulating their emotions, we would expect more positive affect change from before to after, as well as more positive ...
Randomized controlled trial of a positive emotion ...
These findings suggest that a positive emotion regulation intervention could successfully decrease the impact of caregiving stress on the ...
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