Efficacy of an Autobiographical Memory Specificity and Savoring Training for the Reduction of Depressive Symptomatology (PESCAR)

University of Valencia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Control Group; Training Group

Treatments: Behavioral: Autobiographical Memory Specificity and Savoring Training: PESCAR

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05220618

1612004

Details and patient eligibility

About

The effect of autobiographical memory specificity and savoring training on memory specificity, positive affect regulation, well-being and depression symptomatology

Full description

The general objective of this study is to analyze the efficacy of an online-delivered Autobiographical Memory Specificity and SavoringTraining to increase the specificity of positive autobiographical memories, positive affect regulation strategies, well-being and to reduce depression symptomatology. It will be tested in two conditions (training group vs. control group) with low-to-moderate depressive symptomatology. It is hypothesized that the training group (over control group) will increase the specificity and positive affect regulation of autobiographical memories, and this will lead to a reduction of depressive symptomatology and increase of well-being.

Enrollment: 42 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 55 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age between 18 and 55 (following Serrano et al., 2007 recommendations)
• Deficit in memory specificity: scores on Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) < (or equal) 70%
• Diagnosis of mild to moderate depression: scores on Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9) between 5 to 14

Exclusion criteria

• being currently under psychological treatment
• present any medical illness or physical, psychological and/or cognitive incapacity that could impede the participation
• Not having the necessary technological means, i.e. access to a mobile phone with internet connection.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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42 participants in 2 patient groups

PESCAR Training Group

Experimental group

Description:

This group will receive an online two-week intervention to train the specificity and savoring of autobiographical memories. During the two-week intervention and the following two weeks, participants will complete continuous assessments (i.e. once a day) rate the their mood (positive and negative affect) as well as the level of positivity, specificity and savoring of positive memories recalled during practice session. For this study, we included continuous assessments to monitor essential project variables throughout the intervention (2 weeks; from Day 0 to Day 15) and then as a follow-up (2 weeks after; from Day 16 to Day 30).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Autobiographical Memory Specificity and Savoring Training: PESCAR

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

This group will receive no intervention to train the specificity of autobiographical memories. During two weeks (from Day 0 to Day 15), participants will complete continuous assessments (i.e. once a day) to monitor their positive and negative affect.