Search

Background: To improve psychological treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD), a better understanding on how symptoms ameliorate during treatment is essential. In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), it is unclear whether procedures focused on the acquisition of CBT skills play a causal role in the improvement of CBT skills. In this randomized trial, we isolate a single CBT Skill Acquisition Procedure (CBTSAP) and test its direct effects on CBT skills and related therapy processes (i.e., change in (idiosyncratic) dysfunctional thinking and reward processing). We hypothesize that the CBTSAP causes improvements in CBT skills and related therapy processes compared to an active control condition. In addition, we hypothesize that individual differences in attentional bias and memory functioning (defined as learning capacity) moderate the effects of CBTSAP on outcomes and that using mental imagery as a cognitive support strategy to strengthen the effects of the CBTSAP will be most beneficial for patients with low learning capacity. Method: 150 patients with MDD will be randomized to one of three conditions: 1. an active control condition, 2. CBTSAP, 2. CBTSAP plus mental imagery, all consisting of three sessions. Primary outcomes will be change in CBT skills, changes in (idiosyncratic) dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors, reward processing. Depressive symptoms are a secondary outcome. Measures of learning capacity will be conducted at baseline and tested as a potential moderator. Discussion: Knowing whether and for whom the acquisition of CBT skills leads to change in therapy processes and a subsequent reduction of depressive symptoms will inform on how to personalize and optimize psychotherapy outcomes for depression. Trial registration: The trial is registered at the German Clinical Trial Register (DKTR; registration number: DRKS00024116).

Funder: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau (1016), Background Disease burden and unsatisfactory treatment outcomes call for innovation in treatments of depression. Prospective mental imagery, i.e. future-directed voluntary imagery-based thought, about potentially-rewarding activities may offer a mechanistically-informed intervention that targets deficits in reward processing, a core clinical feature of depression. We propose that the previously described impact of prospective mental imagery on motivation for everyday activities is facilitated by affective forecasting, i.e. predictions about an individual’s emotional response to the imagined activities. Methods Participants (N = 120) self-nominated six activities to engage in over the following week and were randomized to either: (1) an affective forecasting imagery condition (n = 40); (2) a neutral process imagery condition (n = 40); or (3) a no-imagery control condition (n = 40). Results As predicted, increases in motivation ratings from pre to post experimental manipulation were significantly higher following affective forecasting imagery compared to both neutral process imagery (d = 0.62) and no-imagery (d = 0.91). Contrary to predictions, the number of activities participants engaged in did not differ between conditions. Conclusions Results provide initial evidence for a potentially important role of affective forecasting in prospective mental imagery. We discuss how these findings can inform future research aiming to harness prospective mental imagery’s potential for clinical applications.

Hintergrund: Experimentelle und prospektive Studien liefern Hinweise, dass Sorgen um die eigene Figur das Auftreten von Überessen bei Personen mit Übergewicht begünstigen. Ziel der aktuellen Studie war es daher, zugrundeliegende Mechanismen der Körperunzufriedenheit bei Frauen mit[zum vollständigen Text gelangen Sie über die oben angegebene URL], 5. Wissenschaftlicher Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Essstörungen

Hintergrund: Verzerrungen in Prozessen der Informationsverarbeitung wie Interpretationsbiases zeigen sich im Zusammenhang mit Körperunzufriedenheit und könnten mit ihrer Aufrechterhaltung assoziiert sein. Da übergewichtige Kinder häufig eine höhere Körperunzufriedenheit[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 3. Wissenschaftlicher Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Essstörungen