A pilot randomized controlled trial of a brief intervention targeting positive valence systems function to prevent internalizing symptoms in college students.
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Depression and anxiety are major mental health concerns for college students, and accessible, low-cost interventions are urgently needed. Although traditional treatments focus on negative emotions, there is growing support for the efficacy of positive emotion-focused interventions. We extended this prior work by developing a peer-delivered brief promoting positive emotion (BPPE) intervention that aims to enhance positive valence systems processes and reduce internalizing risk in college students. The goal of this study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and initial mental health outcomes of BPPE. METHOD: In this pilot randomized controlled trial, 92 unselected college students (Mage = 19.44, SD = 1.15) completed measures of depressive and social anxiety symptoms, perceived stress, well-being, and positive and negative affect before being randomized to the BPPE intervention (n = 47) or a comparison study skills instruction (n = 45). Participants repeated the affect measure immediately after the intervention and repeated the rest of the measures 1 month later (n = 66). Intention-to-treat linear mixed-effect models were used to examine group differences. RESULTS: We found that BPPE can be delivered with high fidelity by peer-trained skills coaches and was rated as highly satisfactory by participants. Positive affect increased pre- to immediately postintervention in the BPPE group. Significant group by time interactions were observed for depression, social anxiety, and perceived stress across the 1-month follow-up, such that BPPE appeared to buffer against worsening symptoms across time. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide preliminary support for a brief, scalable, preventive intervention targeting positive valence systems functions among college students. Future studies warrant a fully powered randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of the intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000916
Institution: Vanderbilt University
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Awards: G1092750628, G2066769053, Neurophysiological reward responsiveness, stress, and depressive symptoms across the perinatal period, Development of Psychopathology: From Brain and Behavioral Science to Intervention, Identifying Neurophysiological Markers of Emotion Regulation Relevant to Adolescent Depression Diagnosis and Prognosis: A Comparison of Classification Models, The Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (VICTR), G812393343
OpenAlex ID: W4408798108