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Positive Psychology in Suicidal Patients

Effectiveness of Positive Psychology in Suicidal Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02855736
Acronym
POPS
Enrollment
206
Registered
2016-08-04
Start date
2015-09-30
Completion date
2017-07-31
Last updated
2016-08-04

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Suicidal Crisis, Suicidal Thoughts

Keywords

Suicidal inpatients, Positive Psychology, Gratitude, Psychological pain

Brief summary

Suicide is a major health concern. Weeks following psychiatric admission are a highly suicide risk period for those having current suicidal ideation or attempt. Recently, a pilot study suggested the feasibility of positive psychology in patients in suicidal crisis. Notably, gratitude exercises suggested improvement in optimism and hopelessness, two dimensions associated to suicide. Moreover, gratitude has been associated to suicidal ideation and attempt, independently from depression. Thus, investigators want to conduct the first randomized controlled study in order to assess effectiveness of gratitude exercises (vs control task) in suicidal inpatients, on 1) psychological pain reduction 2) suicidal ideation, hopelessness, optimism, depressive symptomatology, and anxiety improvement.

Detailed description

Study design: monocentric randomized controlled study Methods: 206 inpatients (Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Post Acute Care), between 18 and 65 years-old, having attempted suicide before hospitalisation or having current active suicidal ideation at the time of the psychiatric hospitalisation. Patients suffering from schizophrenia are excluded. Randomization into two groups: Positive Psychology (i.e., gratitude journal) (n = 103) or Control Task (i.e., food journal) (n = 103), daily exercises during 7 days (in add-on from usual treatment). Clinical assessment: 1) at baseline (the day before the intervention beginning) (V0); 2) short daily self-assessments (immediately before and after the exercise); 3) the day following the last day of the intervention (V1). * V0 : socio-demographic data, treatments, psychopathology, suicidal ideation,depressive and anxious symptomatology, psychological pain, optimism, hopelessness. * Daily self-assessments: psychological pain, optimism, hopelessness * V1 : treatments suicidal ideation,depressive and anxious symptomatology, psychological pain, optimism, hopelessness, intervention satisfaction.

Interventions

Gratitude Journal (Emmons and Stern, 2013) Every evening, patients have to write down the things they feel grateful about.

BEHAVIORALPlacebo (food journal)

Food journal (i.e. alimentary list): Patients have to write down the list of foods eaten during the day.

Sponsors

University Hospital, Montpellier
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Being hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or suicide attempt (from less than a week) * Having signed informed consent * Be fluent in French * Able to understand nature, aims and methodology of the study

Exclusion criteria

* Lifetime history of schizophrenia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - V (DSM-V) criteria * Current eating disorder according to DSM-V criteria * Patient on protective measures (guardianship or trusteeship) * Deprived of liberty subject (judicial or administrative decision)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Psychological pain reduction using a likert scaleAt the inclusion and day 8 (the day after the end of the intervention)Psychological pain reduction, in gratitude vs control group, between the beginning and the end of the intervention, using a likert scale.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
intensity of suicidal ideationAt the inclusion and day 8 (the day after the end of the intervention)Reduction of suicidal ideation intensity, in gratitude vs control group between the beginning and the end of the intervention using a Likert Scale and the Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI).
Intensity of hopelessnessAt the inclusion and day 8 (the day after the end of the intervention)Reduction of hopelessness, in gratitude vs control group between the beginning and the end of the intervention, using a Likert Scale and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS).
Intensity of optimismAt the inclusion and day 8 (the day after the end of the intervention)Reduction of hopelessness, in gratitude vs control group between the beginning and the end of the intervention, using a Likert Scale and the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R).
Psychological pain reduction using a likert scaleAt day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7Psychological pain reduction, in gratitude vs control group, the beginning and the end of each exercise, using a likert scale.
Intensity of anxious symptoms using the State Anxiety Inventory- State (SAI-State)Day 8 (the day after the end of the intervention)Reduction of anxious symptoms between the beginning and the end of the intervention, using the State Anxiety Inventory- State (SAI-State)
Perceived usefulness of the intervention using a likert scaleDay 8 (the day after the end of the intervention)Evaluation of the perceived usefulness of each intervention, using a likert scale.
Intensity of suicidal ideationAt day 1, 2, 3,4 5, 6, 7Reduction of suicidal ideation intensity, in gratitude vs control group between the beginning and the end of each exercise, using a Likert Scale.
Intensity of depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)Day 8 (the day after the end of the intervention)Reduction of depressive symptoms between the beginning and the end of the intervention, using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)

Countries

France

Contacts

Primary ContactDéborah DUCASSE, MD PhD
d-ducasse@chu-montpellier.fr+33 4 67 33 85 81

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026