NCT04945239

Amplification of Positivity to Enhance Social Connections in Anxiety and Depression

Completed NA Last updated 8 January 2025

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Amplification of Positivity Training (6 Sessions) in Depression in 134 participants. Completed in 25 March 2024.

Timeline

29 March 2021

Primary endpoint
10 December 2023

25 March 2024

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	University of California, San Diego
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	single
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	134
Start date	29 March 2021
Primary completion	10 December 2023
Estimated completion	25 March 2024
Sites	1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• Amplification of Positivity Training (6 Sessions)
• Stress Management Training (6 Sessions)

Conditions studied

• Depression — all drugs for Depression →
• Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms — all drugs for Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms →

Sponsor

University of California, San Diego

Who can join

Adults 18 to 55, any sex, with Depression or Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

The overall goal of this project is to develop a novel transdiagnostic behavioral treatment -- Amplification of Positivity (AMP) -- intended to enhance positive social connections in individuals with elevated anxiety and/or depression. Social relationship impairments are common and debilitating consequences of anxiety and depression. Existing treatments have some beneficial impact on social functioning; however, many people continue to have few and/or poor quality relationships following treatment, even after experiencing symptom relief. This study will evaluate the effects of AMP on the brain systems that have been shown to be important for establishing positive connections with others. Approximately 100 individuals (ages 18-55) seeking treatment for anxiety or depression will participate in this study. Participants will be randomly assigned with equal probability to either AMP or stress management training (SMT) (6 sessions each). Participants will be assessed at baseline and post-treatment and compared on measures assessing brain responses to social reward (primary outcome), as well as physiological, behavioral, and emotional responses to social reward (secondary outcomes). It is hypothesized that the AMP group will experience greater increases from pre- to post-treatment in activity in brain systems that regulate the processing of social reward cues (e.g., striatum) relative to participants in the SMT group. It is also hypothesized that changes in brain activation to social reward from pre- to post-treatment will be correlated with the degree of improvement in social connectedness.

Publications & conference data

5 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. The relationship between expressive suppression, therapeutic bond, and treatment outcomes of a positive affect intervention for adults with anxiety and/or depression.
   Hoffman SN, Stein MB, Taylor CT. · · 2024 · cited 3× · PMID 38483053 · DOI 10.1080/16506073.2024.2321891
2. Driven by rewards or punishments? Understanding real world social functioning in anxiety and depressive disorders.
   Gross AM, Rassaby M, Hoffman SN, Depp CA, et al · · 2025 · cited 1× · PMID 40655234 · DOI 10.1016/j.xjmad.2024.100097
3. What do clients think about amplifying positivity? Client change perspectives following a cognitive and behavioural positive activity intervention for anxiety and depression.
   Satchwell MK, Hoffman SN, Rassaby MM, Bowers TJ, et al · · 2025 · cited 1× · PMID 40248574 · DOI 10.1002/capr.12822
4. Network analyses of discrete emotions and social connectedness indicators in anxiety and depressive disorders.
   Shriver RC, Rassaby M, Collins AC, Taylor CT. · · 2026 · PMID 42027952 · DOI 10.1016/j.xjmad.2026.100177
5. The power of positivity: Exploring affective and social processes of change throughout a positive valence treatment for anxiety or depression.
   Rassaby M, Adams SN, Stein MB, Taylor CT. · · 2025 · PMID 40988653 · DOI 10.1016/j.xjmad.2025.100146