NCT01270568

Brief Summary

This study is investigating whether a series of psychological exercises, called positive psychology, provides benefit to patients who have been hospitalized for heart disease (an 'acute coronary syndrome' or heart failure). In this study, subjects are randomly assigned to complete 8 positive psychology exercises over 8 weeks, or to complete different exercises in control groups. We hypothesize that patients who are assigned to the positive psychology tasks will be able to complete the exercises at a high rate, will feel that the exercises were easy to perform, and will have greater improvements of optimism, anxiety, mood, and health-related quality of life than subjects in the control conditions.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
60

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Mar 2010

Shorter than P25 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

March 1, 2010

Completed
10 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

January 1, 2011

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

January 1, 2011

Completed
2 days until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

January 3, 2011

Completed
2 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

January 5, 2011

Completed
Last Updated

January 21, 2011

Status Verified

January 1, 2011

Enrollment Period

10 months

First QC Date

January 3, 2011

Last Update Submit

January 20, 2011

Conditions

Keywords

positive psychologycardiovascular disease

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Feasiblity

    Percentage of exercises completed in the 8 week period

    8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (5)

  • Optimism

    8 weeks

  • Happiness

    8 week

  • Depression

    8 weeks

  • Anxiety

    8 weeks

  • Mental-health related quality of life

    8 weeks

Study Arms (3)

Positive Psychology

EXPERIMENTAL

8 weekly positive psychology exercises

Other: Positive Psychology

Relaxation Response

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Meditation-based treatment

Behavioral: Relaxation Response

Recollection

SHAM COMPARATOR

Recollection of daily events, recorded weekly

Behavioral: Recollection

Interventions

Weekly exercises focused on optimism, gratitude, altruism, and other positive affective states

Positive Psychology

Daily practice of relaxation response, reviewed on a weekly basis

Relaxation Response
RecollectionBEHAVIORAL

Subjects record daily events on a weekly basis for 8 weeks

Recollection

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Hospitalization at Massachusetts General Hospital for an acute coronary syndrome or congestive heart failure
  • Able to read/write in English
  • Have working home or cellular phone

You may not qualify if:

  • Cognitive disorder
  • Medical condition likely to lead to death within 6 months
  • Illness leading to inabilty to consent or complete study exercises
  • Current or prior participation in positive psychology interventions

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Acute Coronary SyndromeHeart FailureCardiovascular Diseases

Interventions

Psychology, Positive

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Myocardial IschemiaHeart DiseasesVascular Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

PsychologyBehavioral SciencesBehavioral Disciplines and Activities

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

January 3, 2011

First Posted

January 5, 2011

Study Start

March 1, 2010

Primary Completion

January 1, 2011

Study Completion

January 1, 2011

Last Updated

January 21, 2011

Record last verified: 2011-01

Locations