MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK.
MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK
BMJ Open. 2022 Mar 30;12(3):e056864. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056864.
Decentering describes the ability to voluntarily adopt an objective self-perspective from which to notice internal, typically distressing, stressors (eg, difficult thoughts, memories and feelings). The reinforcement of this skill may be an active ingredient through which different psychological interventions accrue reductions in anxiety and/or depression. However, it is unclear if decentering can be selectively trained at a young age and if this might reduce psychological distress. The aim of the current trial is to address this research gap.
Adolescents, recruited from schools in the UK and Ireland (n=57 per group, age range=16-19 years), will be randomised to complete 5 weeks of decentering training, or an active control group that will take part in a combination of light physical exercise and cognitive training. The coprimary training outcomes include a self-reported decentering inventory (ie, the Experiences Questionnaire) and the momentary use of decentering in response to psychological stressors, using experience sampling. The secondary mental health outcomes will include self-reported inventories of depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as psychological well-being. Initial statistical analysis will use between-group analysis of covariance to estimate the effect of training condition on self-rated inventories, adjusted for baseline scores. Additionally, experience sampling data will be examined using hierarchical linear models.
This study was approved by the Cambridge Psychology Research Ethics Committee, University of Cambridge (PRE.2019.109). Findings will be disseminated through typical academic routes including poster/paper presentations at (inter)national conferences, academic institutes and through publication in peer-reviewed journals.
ISRCTN14329613.
去中心化描述了一种从客观自我视角出发，主动察觉内在、通常令人痛苦的应激源（例如，困难的想法、记忆和感觉）的能力。强化这种技能可能是不同心理干预减轻焦虑和/或抑郁的一个有效因素。然而，目前尚不清楚是否可以在年轻时选择性地训练去中心化，以及这是否可以减轻心理困扰。本研究旨在填补这一研究空白。
研究将从英国和爱尔兰的学校招募青少年（每组 57 人，年龄范围 16-19 岁），并将他们随机分配到去中心化训练组或积极对照组。积极对照组将参加轻度体育锻炼和认知训练的组合。主要培训结果包括自我报告的去中心化清单（即经验问卷）和在心理应激源下即时使用去中心化，使用经验抽样法。次要心理健康结果将包括自我报告的抑郁和焦虑症状清单，以及心理幸福感。初始统计分析将使用协方差的组间分析来估计训练条件对自我评估清单的影响，调整基线分数。此外，将使用分层线性模型来检查经验抽样数据。
本研究已获得剑桥大学心理学研究伦理委员会（PRE.2019.109）的批准。研究结果将通过典型的学术途径传播，包括在（国际）会议、学术机构的海报/论文展示，以及在同行评议期刊上发表。
ISRCTN84334563。
