The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the effect of a probiotic strain on mental wellbeing in moderately stressed, healthy, adults in the general population. The main question it aims to answer is • what is the impact of probiotic consumption on overall mental wellbeing? Participants will consume one probiotic or placebo capsule per day, answer a set of questionnaire (at 3 time points) and wear a wearable device for the total duration of the study.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
120
6 Billion CFU
0 CFU per day
Biofortis
Addison, Illinois, United States
Change in Mental wellbeing
Improvement in mental wellbeing will be measured using the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ). The Oxford Happiness Inventory was devised as a broad measure of personal happiness. The OHQ has a total of 29 items. Each item is scored on a Likert scale from 1 to 6 (1=strongly disagree; 2=moderately disagree; 3=slightly disagree; 4=slightly agree; 5=moderately agree; 6=strongly agree). Some items are phrased positively and others negatively. Such that negative items (1, 3, 12, 13, 16, 18, 21 and 29) should be scored in reverse (Hills \& Argyle, 2002). The total score is then divided by 29. Interpretation of the final score is as follows: A final score between 1 to 2 is considered "not happy"; between 2 and 3 is "somewhat unhappy"; between 3 and 4 is considered "Neutral"; 4 is "somewhat or moderately happy"; between 4 and 5 is "rather happy"; between 5 and 6 is "very happy"; 6 is "too happy".
Time frame: 4 weeks
Change in Stress scores
Change in stress scores will be measured using the short version of the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21). Each item is scored from 0 to 3, with a score of 0 indicating that the statement did not apply or never. A score of 3 indicates that the statement applied very much or almost always. In DASS-21, items 1, 6, 8, 11, 12, 14 and 18 relate to measurement of stress. Given that DASS-21 is the short version of DASS-42, the total item score is multiplied by 2. The final total scores range from 0 (no stress) to 42 (extremely stressed). Scores ranging between 0-14 (stress) are considered normal. Scores above 14 are considered positive for stress.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Change in anxiety scores
Change in anxiety scores will be measured using the short version of the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21). Each item is scored from 0 to 3, with a score of 0 indicating that the statement did not apply or never. A score of 3 indicates that the statement applied very much or almost always. In DASS-21, items 2, 4, 7, 9, 15, 19 and 20 relate to measurement of anxiety. Given that DASS-21 is the short version of DASS-42, the total item score is multiplied by 2. The final total scores range from 0 (no anxiety) to 42 (extremely anxious). Scores ranging between 0-14 (stress) are considered normal. Scores above 14 are considered positive for anxiety.
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Time frame: 4 weeks
Change in Depression scores
Change in depression scores will be measured using the short version of the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21). Each item is scored from 0 to 3, with a score of 0 indicating that the statement did not apply or never. A score of 3 indicates that the statement applied very much or almost always. In DASS-21, items 3, 5, 10, 13, 16, 17, and 21 relate to measurement of depression . Given that DASS-21 is the short version of DASS-42, the total item score is multiplied by 2. The final total scores range from 0 (no depression ) to 42 (extremely depressed). Scores ranging between 0-14 (stress) are considered normal. Scores above 14 are considered positive for depression .
Time frame: 4weeks
Change in Stress Scores
In addition o the DASS, Subjects will complete the Perceived Stress Scale during screening for eligibility purposes and on Days 13 and 27 for outcome assessments. The Perceived Stress Scale is a retrospective 10-item questionnaire asking about feelings and thoughts "over the last month" . Scores are obtained by reversing responses (e.g., 0 = 4, 1 = 3, 2 = 2, 3 = 1 \& 4 = 0) to the four positively stated items (items 4, 5, 7, \& 8) and then summing across all scale items. Eligible participants will be required to have a total score ≥14, indicating moderate (score 14-26) or high (27-40) perceived stress.
Time frame: 4 weeks