Email-Delivered Digital Positive Affect Intervention for Young Adults in Zimbabwe
ConditionDepression Symptoms
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-25
SponsorVilnius University
About this trial
This study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a brief email-delivered positive affect intervention for young adults in Zimbabwe. The study uses a randomised controlled trial design with two parallel arms.
A total of 100 participants aged 18-25 years will be randomly assigned to two arms: an experimental arm receiving an email-delivered positive affect intervention or a control arm receiving psychoeducational materials. The intervention group will receive guided activities twice weekly over three weeks, focusing on identifying, reflecting on, and engaging in positive experiences. The control group will receive general psychoeducational materials on mental health without structured activities.
Assessments will be conducted at baseline and after the intervention. The primary outcome is feasibility( including recruitment, retention, and adherence) and acceptance. Secondary outcomes include changes in positive affect, symptoms of depression and anxiety,self-stigma, and suicidal ideation.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Aged 18-25 years.
Able to understand and read English.
Previously participated in Stage 1 of the study and provided consent to be contacted regarding future research opportunities.
Have access to a device (for example smartphone, tablet, or computer) and internet connectivity for intervention delivery.
Disqualifiers
Are at high risk of suicide.
Are currently experiencing a psychotic episode.
Are currently experiencing interpersonal violence.
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Email-Delivered Positive Affect Intervention
BehavioralThis intervention is a brief email-delivered positive affect program designed specifically for young adults in a low-resource setting and it uses a structured three-step process of remembering, contemplating, and acting on positive experiences to intentionally increase positive affect. Unlike standard psychoeducational or symptom-focused mental health interventions, this program actively guides participants to identify personally meaningful sources of positive emotion and to translate them into daily behavioural activities. The intervention is fully automated and delivered entirely via email, making it highly scalable and accessible without the need for trained clinicians or face-to-face contact.
Psychoeducational Control
BehavioralParticipants receive email-based psychoeducational materials about stress, anxiety, depression, and coping strategies over three weeks. No structured behavioural exercises or positive activity tasks are included.
Treatment groups
100 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Psychoeducational ControlActive comparator 1 intervention
Group B: Email-Delivered Positive Affect InterventionExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Feasibility and Acceptability
Feasibility , usability and acceptability will be assessed using self-reported participation in email activities. Participant feedback on usability, satisfaction, and acceptability of the program will be collected at the post-intervention assessment using self-report questions.
Time frame
Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 3)Secondary outcomes
1
Changes in The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7
Changes in symptoms of anxiety are measured. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7, Spitzer et al., 2006) is a self-report measure comprising 7 items about symptoms of anxiety. All items are answered on a 4-point Likert scale that ranges from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). A higher score indicates more pronounced symptoms.
Time frame
Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 3)2
Positive Affect (PANAS Positive Affect Subscale)
Changes in positive affect are measured using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson et al., 1988) positive affect subscale. The PANAS is a self-report measure comprising 20 items, with 10 items assessing positive affect and 10 items assessing negative affect. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very slightly or not at all) to 5 (extremely). A higher score on the positive affect subscale indicates greater frequency of positive emotional experiences.
Time frame
Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 3)3
Changes in The Patient Health Questionnaire-9
Changes in symptoms of depression are measured. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9, Kroenke et al., 2001) is a self-report measure comprising 9 items about symptoms of depression. All items are answered on a 4-point Likert scale that ranges from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). A higher score indicates more pronounced symptoms.
Time frame
Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 3)4
Changes in the Self-Stigma (SSOSH)
Changes in self-stigma associated with seeking psychological help are measured using the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale (SSOSH; Vogel et al., 2006). The SSOSH is a self-report measure comprising 10 items assessing negative beliefs and attitudes about seeking professional psychological help. All items are answered on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). A higher score indicates greater self-stigma associated with seeking psychological help.
Time frame
Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 3)Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Vilnius University
Lead sponsor
University of Zimbabwe
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov
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