Emotional Distress

This mixed-methods study seeks to evaluate the feasibility of Mystic Pets software and hardware within the pediatric population. This study will take place at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA).

This is a randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy and neural mechanisms of a standardized Mindfulness Intervention for Emotional Distress (MIED) in adults with subclinical emotional distress. One hundred and sixty participants will be randomly assigned to either an 8-week MIED program or an 8-week Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) active control. The primary aim is to evaluate whether MIED reduces anxiety symptoms and reshapes multilevel emotional processing as measured by multimodal EEG (resting-state FAA/theta, Fast Periodic Visual Stimulation, and event-related potentials). Assessments occur at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and 1-month follow-up.

Background: Adolescent emotional distress (anxiety and depressive symptoms) is rising globally. The detection rate of depression risk among Chinese middle and high school students reaches 24.6%, with anxiety risk at 18.1%. These conditions show high comorbidity, high recurrence, and high disability rates, seriously affecting adolescents' academic performance, social relationships, and quality of life. Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) have shown significant effects in children and adolescent populations; meta-analyses indicate a moderate effect size on adolescent internalizing problems (Hedges' g = 0.47). Group-based adolescent mindfulness interventions are feasible, as the group format improves efficiency, reduces costs, and provides social support. However, existing research still has limitations in cultural adaptation and systematic intervention design. The MIED (Mindfulness Intervention for Emotional Distress) systematic theory was developed by researcher Liu Xinghua based on MBSR/UP. Its core theory is the "Diamond Model" of emotional distress, identifying four core maintenance mechanisms: engagement in life, distress tolerance regulation, emotional behavior regulation, and cognitive flexibility enhancement. Adult studies on MIED have shown significant improvements in emotional distress symptoms, but no specialized research has been conducted in adolescent populations. Methods: This study is a feasibility exploratory study employing a single-group pre-post design, planning to recruit 24-30 adolescents aged 12-18 years with emotional distress, to undergo an 8-week MIED adolescent mindfulness intervention group. Data will be collected at multiple time points: baseline, after session 4, after session 8, and at 1-month follow-up. Objectives: The primary objective is to evaluate the feasibility of the MIED-based adolescent mindfulness intervention group (recruitment feasibility, retention feasibility, implementation feasibility, acceptability, and safety). The secondary objective is to preliminarily assess the intervention's effectiveness on outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and stress, estimate effect sizes, and provide methodological preparation for subsequent large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

The goal of this multicenter randomized waitlist-controlled clinical trial is to evaluate whether an online Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Emotional Distress (MIED) can reduce emotional distress and reflux-related symptoms in adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD is a common chronic gastrointestinal condition that is frequently accompanied by anxiety, depressive symptoms, stress, and impaired quality of life. The main questions this study aims to answer are: Can online MIED reduce emotional distress in patients with GERD? Can online MIED reduce reflux-related symptoms and improve reflux-related quality of life? Are changes in psychological processes, such as distress tolerance, cognitive flexibility, experiential avoidance, emotional behaviors, and life engagement, associated with improvements in emotional distress and reflux symptoms? Researchers will compare participants receiving online MIED with participants in a waitlist control group receiving usual medical care and health management to determine whether online MIED leads to greater improvement over time. Participants will: complete screening and baseline assessments; be randomly assigned to either the online MIED intervention group or the waitlist control group; if assigned to the intervention group, complete an 8-week online MIED program with one session per week; continue necessary usual medical care during the study, while keeping medication use stable when possible; complete online questionnaires at baseline, during the intervention, after the intervention, and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after the intervention; report information on reflux symptoms, emotional distress, quality of life, sleep, stress, resilience, life satisfaction, healthcare use, intervention adherence, and adverse events.

This is a single-center, prospective observational cohort study designed to evaluate the association between pretreatment emotional distress and pathologic response to perioperative immunotherapy in patients with locally advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. A total of 120 patients planned for neoadjuvant immunotherapy followed by curative surgery will be enrolled. Emotional distress will be assessed using the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 before treatment initiation and at prespecified time points during treatment. Participants will be classified into an emotional distress group or a non-emotional distress group according to predefined criteria. The primary endpoint is major pathological response (MPR). Secondary endpoints include pathological complete response (pCR), R0 resection rate, event-free survival (EFS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS). Exploratory analyses will assess dynamic changes in emotional distress and their associations with peripheral stress markers, peripheral immune markers, and tumor immune microenvironment features.

Emotional distress (ED) refers to a state of mental suffering that significantly impairs an individual's ability to cope, often leading to a decline in overall well-being. In military contexts, ED is a prevalent concern due to the unique and demanding challenges faced by military personnel both in combat zones and during peacetime. The primary objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of integrating ear acupuncture with mindfulness therapy in mitigating ED and alleviating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among military personnel. The study will examine the effects of auricular acupuncture (AA) and mindfulness therapy (MT) on ED in military personnel with PTSD. The NADA ear acupuncture protocol will be administered using acupuncture semi-permanent (ASP), sterile needles placed in the bilateral ears, which will remain in place until they naturally fall out. Mindfulness therapy will incorporate relaxation techniques, such as yoga and controlled breathing exercises, specifically designed to alleviate ED. A mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative methods, will be employed concurrently to evaluate the interventions' effectiveness and to explore the participants' perceived benefits. Specific Aim 1: To evaluate the effectiveness and perceived benefits of the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) ear acupuncture protocol as an adjunct therapy to brief mindfulness therapy for reducing emotional distress in service members and veterans with PTSD. Specific Aim 2: To examine the effectiveness of NADA as an adjunct therapy to brief mindfulness therapy in improving sleep disturbances, alcohol use, and pain in service members and veterans with PTSD.

This study will recruit teens who are experiencing subacute suicidal ideation to test the effect of a brief psychoeducational intervention focused on social media use wherein youth learn about active and prosocial use of social media platforms.

The primary goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the unique neural and behavioral effects of a one-session training combining emotion regulation skills training, with excitatory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). The secondary aim is to identify key changes in the emotion regulation neural network following the combined intervention versus each of the components alone. The third aim is to explore personalized biomarkers for response to emotion regulation training. Participants will undergo brain imaging while engaging in an emotional regulation task. Participants will be randomly assigned to learn one of two emotion regulation skills. Participants will be reminded of recent stressors and will undergo different types of neurostimulation, targeted using fMRI (functional MRI) results. Participants who may practice their emotion regulation skills during neurostimulation in a one-time session. Following this training, participants will undergo another fMRI and an exit interview to assess for immediate neural and behavioral changes. Measures of emotion regulation will be assessed at a one week and a one month follow up visit.

This study is a multicenter, prospective, observational clinical trial designed to evaluate the impact of baseline emotional status on the clinical outcomes of patients with BCLC stage B/C hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing HAIC combined with targeted immunotherapy. A total of 90 patients are planned to be enrolled and divided into a depressive mood group and a non-depressive mood group based on a PHQ-9/GAD-7 score of ≥5 points. The primary study endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoints include objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and safety profile. Dynamic assessments of patients' emotional status, quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30), and peripheral blood levels of neuroendocrine-immune markers will be conducted at preset time points. The results indicate that emotional status may serve as an important modifiable factor influencing the efficacy of comprehensive therapy in patients with advanced liver cancer, providing an evidence-based basis for the formulation of psychosomatic integrated clinical intervention strategies in the future.

The purpose of this research study is to determine whether COMA-F is more efficacious at reducing emotional distress in caregivers of patients with severe acute brain injuries, compared to health education control.

Racial and ethnic minority children who live in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities are disproportionately impacted by pandemic and climate-induced disasters. Although effective interventions have been designed to treat mental health related symptoms in post-disaster settings, accessible, empirically supported prevention interventions are needed to prevent the onset of mental and behavioral health issues among these children. Building on our preliminary findings, the proposed study examines the efficacy and implementation of a COVID-19 adapted disaster focused prevention intervention, Journey of Hope-C19, in preventing behavioral health and interpersonal problems among racial and ethnic minority children who live in low-resource high poverty communities.

Research shows that high positive emotionality is an essential ingredient in building resilience in youngsters, especially those with a vulnerability to develop depressive symptomatology. It may empower them against actual depression and its various long-term adverse outcomes. One way to achieve positive emotions is via the recollection and anticipation of specific positive events. Therefore, to cultivate positive emotions in young people, a user-friendly group training program was developed, translated from basic research findings: Positive Event Training (PET). Through PET, adolescents learn to solidify positive memories and positive plans for the future. In this project, a comprehensive evaluation of PET's efficacy is conducted using a robust methodology with vulnerable youth.

The purpose of this study is to pilot a resiliency and coping intervention for persons recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and their primary informal caregivers. The data investigators gather in this study will be used to further refine our intervention.

The purpose of this study is to pilot two resilience interventions for cardiac arrest survivors and their informal caregivers, Recovering Together after Cardiac Arrest 1 and Recovering Together after Cardiac Arrest 2 . The data the investigators gather in this study will be used to further refine the interventions.

The goal of this observational study is to understand the effects and experiences of therapeutic writing interventions in adult women with chronic pain and co-occurring mental health conditions. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can therapeutic writing help relieve chronic pain and emotional distress? How does writing support emotional processing, regulation, and meaning-making during rehabilitation? Participants will take part in a two-part writing intervention involving: Guided writing exercises that focus on emotional processing, emotion regulation, and creating meaning. Individual interviews after the writing sessions to explore their experiences. The study uses qualitative analysis methods-phenomenology and logotherapy-to better understand how these writing interventions may support recovery, improve well-being, and offer non-pharmacological tools for managing chronic pain and mental health challenges.

This research aims to adopt a complex systems perspective to thoroughly examine the impact of online mindfulness interventions on changes in emotional distress, with a particular focus on the mechanisms of action. Through a daily diary study design, the study seeks to reveal the complexity and dynamic characteristics of emotional changes and the underlying mechanisms（i.e. distress tolerance， experiential avoidance， cognition flexibility, and life engagement） throughout the intervention process. This research will enrich the theoretical framework of online mental health intervention and provide empirical evidence for optimizing online intervention strategies.

This study hopes to explore whether the changes in rumination exhibited in Daily Diary mediates the effects of mindfulness intervention on alleviating emotional distress

This study hopes to explore whether the changes in rumination exhibited in behavioral experiments mediates the effects of mindfulness intervention on alleviating emotional distress

This study hopes to: 1. explore whether an increase in the dosage of cognitive flexibility intervention corresponds to greater effectiveness of mindfulness intervention in alleviating emotional distress. 2. explore whether cognitive flexibility mediates the effects of mindfulness intervention on alleviating emotional distress.

Advances in rectal cancer management have significantly reduced morbidity and mortality. The most commonly performed operation for rectal cancer is restorative proctectomy (RP), leaving up to 70% with long-term bowel dysfunction called Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS). LARS manifests as stool frequency, incontinence and difficult defecation. LARS, along with other functional impairments such as sexual and urinary dysfunction (SUD), can impact quality of life (QoL) and cause emotional distress. High-quality longitudinal data on these sequalae are lacking, leading to variable estimates of their prevalence, risk factors and prognosis. Most studies are European, cross-sectional, lack pre-treatment evaluation and long-term follow-up, and use inconsistent assessment measures. Thus, a North American study that evaluates patients longitudinally from diagnosis will provide quality data to fill this knowledge gap. The main aim of the proposed study is to contribute evidence regarding the impact of LARS, SUD, emotional/financial distress, and patient activation on long-term post-treatment QoL in North American rectal cancer after RP. This multicenter North American, observational, prospective cohort study relies on validated patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) at diagnosis, during and post-treatment. Patients from 20 sites will be recruited over 2 years and followed for 3 years. The primary endpoint is QoL as measured by the European Organization for Research \& Treatment of Cancer QoL questionnaire. We anticipate accrual of 1200 patients. Factors associated with QoL will be explored. Impact of patient activation in relation to functional outcomes on QoL over time will be explored using a difference-in-differences approach. The study involves a multidisciplinary team who will provide expertise in research methodology, nursing, oncology and surgery. The main contributions of this study are 1) provision of reference baseline North American values for important rectal cancer PROMs for clinical and research use, 2) an understanding of the evolution of functional outcomes and QoL post-treatment to counsel patients peri-operatively and throughout survivorship, and 3) to provide the basis for future tailored programs to support rectal cancer survivors.