Ecological Momentary Intervention for Reward in Anhedonia

The present study evaluates a two week ecological momentary intervention (EMI) in reducing anhedonia and psychological distress (i.e. elevated depression, stress and anxiety). Participants in the experimental group complete three daily exercises targeting reward-related processes, including positive mental imagery, savoring, gratitude, taking ownership for positive experience, and silver lining. These components were selected to improve reward anticipation as well as reward consumption and reward learning as the underlying mechanisms of anhedonia. An active control group receives progressive muscle relaxation training, matched in format and frequency. Exercise units are presented using audio recordings via smartphone app.

NCT Number	NCT07155941
Lead Sponsor	Philipps University Marburg
Conditions	Anhedonia, Anxiety, Stress, Depression
Enrollment	60 participants
Start Date	2025-06-18
Primary Completion	2026-01 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-01 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-01-09