A Pilot Study of Positive Affect Training
A Pilot Study of Positive Affect Training
The primary objective of this study is a proof-of-concept study to test whether a novel
 mindfulness based intervention, Positive Affect Training (PAT), can enhance positive affect
 and compassion, and decrease negative affect and feelings of depression. PAT involves a
 combination of practicing mindfulness meditation and loving-kindness meditation in groups.
 The goal of the research is to test the initial feasibility and efficacy in increasing
 positive affect and decreasing negative affect in individuals recruited from the general
 community who experience negative affect. If the training proves to be successful, we will
 test the intervention, in additional studies, on individuals with dysthymic disorder and
 other clinical disorders. PAT is a cost-effective, non-invasive intervention. Therefore if
 effective, it could be an alternative or supplemental intervention option to existing
 psychotherapy for dysthymic disorder.
Loving-kindness meditation (LKM) and mindfulness meditation, in which PAT is rooted, are
 derived from Buddhist practices that have been empirically shown to have applications in
 improving mental health. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, mindfulness based CBT was
 shown to decrease stress, negative affect, and chronic pain in both psychiatric and
 non-psychiatric subjects. Mindfulness-based therapy has since been shown to be effective for
 treating mood and anxiety disorders. Only recently has LKM been examined as an intervention
 for affective symptoms. This meditation practice seems to be particularly suited for reducing
 negative affect while also enhancing positive affect in individuals who show emotional
 dysregulation, such as people with dysthymic disorder. This notion is supported by
 experimental studies suggesting that LKM decreases anxiety and stress, positively influences
 emotional responses to neutral stimuli, and promotes positive emotions such as trust, love,
 hope, and compassion. Dr. Fredrickson, a prominent researcher and social psychologist who is
 the foremost expert in LKM will serve as an outside consultant for the development of the
 protocol. She is not listed as an official collaborator because she will not be in direct
 contact with the participant data that the investigators will collect.

 The intervention the investigators plan to develop, Positive Affect Training (PAT), combines
 mindfulness and LKM, with a strong emphasis on the latter. The investigators will adopt
 strategies that have been described in a previous LKM protocol for trauma victims. The
 investigators contacted Dr. Kearney who shared his manual with us. Given the impressive
 effect LKM seems to have on generating positive, and attenuating negative affect in
 experimental studies, the investigators plan to test PAT as a method of improving positive
 affect. The current study aims to test the initial efficacy of PAT in individuals who report
 experiencing a low mood. The investigators hypothesize significant improvement in subjects'
 self-reported ratings of negative and positive affect as a result of the intervention.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Must be at least 18 years of age

 -  Responds positively to the question on the recruitment material (flyer and posting):
 "Have you been feeling depressed or in a low mood for most of the day, more days than
 not, nearly every day for 1 year or longer?"

 -  Must have a negative affect scale score of the PANAS of at least 21.6 (1 SD above the
 mean of normative sample)

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Participants with a BDI score of 30 or higher (more than moderate depression) will be
 excluded.

 -  Participants who are at risk of harming themselves will be excluded from participating
 in the study. Suicidality will be assessed after obtaining consent during the
 screening visit. In addition, the Beck Depression Inventory will be examined for
 self-reported suidicality. If a participant is found to have suicidal ideation, the PI
 will be contacted immediately and appropriate follow-up care will be provided by
 referring the participant to the ER.

 -  Participants will be assessed through a phone screen using questions from the Anxiety
 Disorders Interview Schedule (ADIS) for disorders that could impose a safety risk for
 the participants or others (e.g., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc). Subjects who
 endorse "yes" responses to phone screen items will be excluded.

 -  Participants who are receiving any psychiatric or psychological treatment for a mood
 or anxiety disorder at the time of the assessment will be excluded from the study.
 Participants who initiate such treatments while being enrolled in the study will be
 closely monitored. These participants will be allowed to remain in the study, but will
 later be excluded from the data analyses. They are allowed to remain in the study for
 ethical reasons and because the present trial is a proof-of-concept study and not a
 clinical trial.