Emotional Well-being and Measures of Healthy Aging

Northwestern University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Aging; Aging, Healthy; Aging, Biological; Aging Well

Treatments: Behavioral: Positive Emotion Skills Intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07334106

STU00221612

Details and patient eligibility

About

This randomized control study is designed to understand the role of a positive psychology intervention (PARK: Positive Affect Regulation sKills) in biological aging and well-being. PARK provides a series of positive emotion skills in a self-guided online format, making the program accessible and convenient.

Our main aims are:

Aim 1: To explore the effects of PARK on psychological well-being (e.g., depression, anxiety, positive affect).

Aim 2: To explore the effects of PARK on biological age as defined by DNA methylation (DNAm) GrimAge and electrocardiogram-age (ECG-age), as well as physiological well-being in adults (e.g., cardiovascular, endocrine, musculoskeletal functioning, etc.).

Full description

The skills in the Positive Psychology Intervention (PPI), PARK (e.g., gratitude, mindful awareness and nonjudgement, and self-compassion) are designed to promote positive emotion, which has been shown to provide resilience against stress. Positive emotion, independent of stress and negative emotion, has also been associated with a lower risk of mortality and better health behaviors such as likelihood of physical activity and healthy eating. This randomized control study will compare baseline well-being scores to post-online intervention at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months post-baseline. Secondarily, measures of biological aging (DNAm GrimAge and ECG-age) and physiological functioning measures of cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and endocrine functioning will be explored from baseline to post-intervention measures 3 and 12 months later.

Research will be based in Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine through the Potocsnak Human Longevity Lab and the Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS), with all study procedures conducted in-person at the Human Longevity Lab or online. Eligibility screening, consent, and assessments will be conducted on REDCap. Consenting participants randomized to the treatment group will receive access to the online PARK platform within two weeks. The intervention consists of a positive skills course (including weekly lessons and daily skills practice) and daily emotion check-ins, hosted by BrightOutcome. The skills will be delivered over approximately 6 weeks, and individuals can participate from any device and location with internet access.

Enrollment: 80 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 40 to 70 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 40-70
• Speaks and reads English
• Able to access the online platform through their phone, a public device (i.e., at the library) or at home.
• Lives in the Chicagoland area
• Willing/able to travel to the Human Longevity Lab for in-person visits

Exclusion criteria

• Adults unable to consent
• Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers)
• Pregnant women
• Prisoners
• Vulnerable Populations
• Pre-existing heart disease (prevalent coronary heart and cerebrovascular disease or heart failure)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Severe psychiatric illness

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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80 participants in 2 patient groups

Positive Emotion Skills Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive the 6-week online intervention, PARK (Positive Affect Regulation sKills Course).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Positive Emotion Skills Intervention

Waitlist Control

No Intervention group

Description:

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.