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Savoring the good may calm the Body's stress response

NCT ID NCT06294145

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of California, Los Angeles Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 01, 2026 · Last updated Sep 02, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers at UCLA are testing whether a savoring intervention, which teaches people to focus on and amplify positive experiences, can improve mood and reduce inflammation in young adults with low positive affect. The study involves 20 participants aged 18 to 25 who will complete a 7-week program. Before and after the intervention, participants undergo brain scans, blood tests, and questionnaires to see if changes in brain activity relate to changes in inflammation markers. The goal is to understand whether boosting positive feelings can blunt stress responses and lower inflammation.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
A behavioral intervention called savoring, which involves focusing on and amplifying positive experiences to enhance positive affect.
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a non-drug way to lift mood and lower inflammation in people with depression and low positive affect.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study with only 20 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The intervention may not change brain activity or inflammation as hoped.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

30 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Feb 2024

Finished

May 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 25 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Moderate to moderately severe depression indicated by a PHQ-8 score between 9 and 20 * Low positive affect indicated by a PANAS score of less than 24 * No anxiety to moderate anxiety indicated by a GAD-7 score of less than 15 * 18 to 25 years old * English speaking * Willing to refrain from starting other psychosocial/pharmacological treatments until study completion Exclusion Criteria: * MRI contraindications (left-handedness, claustrophobia, colorblindness, pregnancy, metal implants, and BMI above 35) * Presence of disease that may influence inflammation (e.g. asthma requiring inhaler, autoimmune or inflammatory diseases, gum disease, sleep disorder, eating disorder) * Presence of serious medical conditions (e.g. anemia, cancer (current or history), diabetes, endocrine disorder, fibromyalgia, heart problems) * Presence of disease that may impact patterns of neural activity (e.g. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, head trauma, epilepsy, problems with drugs or alcohol) * Use of medications that may influence inflammation in last 6 months * Bupropion, dopaminergic or neuroleptic medications in last 6 months, consistent with other studies that investigate anhedonia, given their potential influence upon reward processing * Current use of heterocyclics and SSRIs if not stabilized for at least 3 months * History of regular (5-7 times per week) drug use (marijuana, cocaine, stimulant use before age of 15) * Current nicotine use (more than 11 cigarettes a week or nicotine equivalent) * Prior or current behavioral activation psychotherapy * Concurrent psychotherapy

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Low positive affect

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of California, Los Angeles

    Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States

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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.