JustKiddo/KiddosVault huggingface dataset:
How and for whom does web-based acceptance and commitment therapy work? Mediation and moderation analyses of web-based ACT for depressive symptoms.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been demonstrated to be effective in reducing depressive symptoms. However, little is known how and for whom therapeutic change occurs, specifically in web-based interventions. This study focuses on the mediators, moderators and predictors of change during a web-based ACT intervention. Data from 236 adults from the general population with mild to moderate depressive symptoms, randomized to either web-based ACT (n=82) or one of two control conditions (web-based Expressive Writing (EW; n=67) and a waiting list (n=87)), were analysed. Single and multiple mediation analyses, and exploratory linear regression analyses were performed using PROCESS and linear regression analyses, to examine mediators, moderators and predictors on pre- to post- and follow-up treatment change of depressive symptoms. The treatment effect of ACT versus the waiting list was mediated by psychological flexibility and two mindfulness facets. The treatment effect of ACT versus EW was not significantly mediated. The moderator analyses demonstrated that the effects of web-based ACT did not vary according to baseline patient characteristics when compared to both control groups. However, higher baseline depressive symptoms and positive mental health and lower baseline anxiety were identified as predictors of outcome across all conditions. Similar results are found for follow-up. The findings of this study corroborate the evidence that psychological flexibility and mindfulness are distinct process mechanisms that mediate the effects of web-based ACT intervention. The results indicate that there are no restrictions to the allocation of web-based ACT intervention and that web-based ACT can work for different subpopulations. Netherlands Trial Register NTR2736 . Registered 6 February 2011.
The effect of CBT and its modifications for relapse prevention in major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The risk of relapse in major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with high worldwide disease burden. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and its modifications might be effective in relapse prevention. The aim of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of these treatments for reducing relapse of MDD. The retrieval was performed in the databases of MEDLINE via Pubmed, EMBASE and PsycINFO via OVID, The Cochrane Library and four Chinese databases. Clinical trials registry platforms and references of relevant articles were retrieved as well. Hazard ratio (HR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to pool evidences. A total of 16 eligible trials involving 1945 participants were included. In the first 12 months, CBT was more efficacious than control in reducing the risk of developing a new episode of depression for MDD patients in remission (HR:0.50, 95%CI:0.35-0.72, I2 =11%). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was more efficacious than control only among patients with 3 or more previous depressive episodes (HR:0.46, 95%CI:0.31-0.70, I2 =38%). Besides, compared with maintenance antidepressant medication (m-ADM), MBCT was a more effective intervention (HR:0.76, 95%CI:0.58-0.98, I2 =0%). These positive effects might be only maintained at two and nearly 6 years follow up for CBT. The use of CBT for MDD patients in remission might reduce risk of relapse. Besides, the effect of MBCT was moderated by number of prior episodes and MBCT might only be effective for MDD patients with 3 or more previous episodes. Further exploration for the influence of previous psychological intervention is required.
Pharmacological Interventions versus Combined Treatment of Depression: A Prospective Study.

Depression is a common disease worldwide but still, the role of combined treatment (pharmacological and psychological interventions) needs to be clarified. The study aims to compare the effectiveness of integrated treatment versus exclusive pharmacological intervention of depression. The observational prospective study provided the collection of data relating to outpatients evaluated through the administration of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) both at T0 and at a 3-month follow up visit (T1). A statically significant association between sex (female) and psychotherapy utilization emerged. A statistically significant association between education (graduated patients) and psychotherapy use was observed. The other qualitative variables showed no statistically significance associations. No significant association between drop out and type of treatment emerged. Clinical research has not yet conclusively demonstrated the superiority of combined therapy over single treatments. As regards sex, the result is in line with the professional literature and provides support in describing how men have more stigmatizing beliefs about treatment of mental health. As regards education, graduated people present higher rates of adherence probably because they may have major introspective capacity and predisposition to communication. Limitations consist in small sample and short duration of the follow-up (3 months). The strengths, in the type of setting and the respect for routine clinical practice. Future perspective of the research could focus on application of rating instruments to highlight the variables involved in depressive disorder.
A randomized controlled trial of internet-based therapy in depression.

Depression is among the most prevalent disorders worldwide. In view of numerous treatment barriers, internet-based interventions are increasingly adopted to "treat the untreated". The present trial (registered as NCT01401296) was conducted over the internet and aimed to assess the efficacy of an online self-help program for depression (Deprexis). In random order, participants with elevated depression symptoms received program access or were allocated to a wait-list control condition. After eight weeks, participants were invited to take part in an online re-assessment. To compensate for common problems of online studies, such as low completion rates and unclear diagnostic status, reminders and incentives were used, and clinical diagnoses were externally confirmed in a subgroup of 29% of participants. Relative to the wait-list group, program users experienced significant symptom decline on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; primary outcome), the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS), the Quality of Life scale (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). Compared to wait-list participants, symptom decline was especially pronounced among those with moderate symptoms at baseline as well as those not currently consulting a therapist. Completion (82%) and re-test reliability of the instruments (r = .72-.87) were good. The results of this trial suggest that online treatment can be beneficial for people with depression, particularly for those with moderate symptoms.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of group cognitive behavioural psychotherapy treatment for sub-clinical depression.

Studies investigating effectiveness of group psychotherapy intervention in sub-threshold depression have shown varying results with differing effect sizes. A systematic review of randomised controlled trials of group psychotherapy in adults with sub-threshold depression has been conducted to present the best available evidence in relation to its effect on depressive symptomatology and prevention of incident major depression. Electronic search for RCTs and a meta-analysis using random effects models to obtain a pooled estimate. Eight studies from six clinical trials met the inclusion criteria. Group psychotherapy is an effective intervention for reducing depressive symptoms in adults with sub-threshold depression in comparison to waiting list controls (MD=-3.48, 95% CI: -5.02, -1.93). The reported benefits for group intervention in reducing depressive symptoms in comparison to other active interventions did not reach statistical significance (MD=0.37 95% CI: -1.29, 2.04). The benefit of group psychotherapy at follow-up is not maintained. Group psychotherapies do not appear to reduce the risk of incident depressive disorder during the follow up (RR=1.15 95% CI: 0.85, 1.54). Dutch studies had bigger effect sizes than studies from other countries. The quality of reporting of all the studies was suboptimal. The results of this meta-analysis show that group CBT interventions for patients with sub-threshold depression have a significant effect on depressive symptomatology at post treatment in both working age and older adult population. However it does not appear to reduce the incidence of major depressive disorders and has minimal or no effect on depressive symptomatology during follow-up.
Interpersonal psychotherapy as add-on for treatment-resistant depression: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is an extremely prevalent clinical condition. Although Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is an established treatment for uncomplicated depression, its effectiveness has never before been studied in patients with TRD in real-world settings. We investigate IPT as an adjunct strategy to treatment as usual (TAU) for TRD patients in a pragmatic, randomized, controlled trial. A total of 40 adult patients with TRD (satisfying the criteria for major depressive disorder despite adequate antidepressant treatment) were recruited from a tertiary care facility for this pragmatic trial and blinded to the evaluator. Patients were randomized to one of two treatment conditions: (1) TAU - pharmacotherapy freely chosen by the clinician (n=23) and (2) TAU+IPT (n=17). Assessments were performed at weeks 8, 12, 19 and 24. Changes in the estimated means of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score were the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcomes included patient-rated scales and quality of life scales. We used a linear mixed model to compare changes over time between the two groups. Both treatments lead to improvements in depressive symptoms from baseline to week 24 with no significant between group differences in either primary: TAU (mean difference: 4.57; CI95%: 0.59-8.55; d=0.73) vs. IPT+TAU (mean difference: 5.86, CI95%: 1.50-10.22; d=0.93) or secondary outcomes. Our relatively small sample limits our ability to detect differences between treatments. Both treatments lead to equal improvements in depressive symptoms. We found no evidence to support adding IPT to pharmacotherapy in patients with TRD. ClinicalTrials.gov-NCT01896349.
Clinical relevance of findings in trials of CBT for depression.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is beneficial in depression. Symptom scores can be translated into Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale scores to indicate clinical relevance. We aimed to assess the clinical relevance of findings of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of CBT in depression. We identified RCTs of CBT that used the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD). HAMD scores were translated into Clinical Global Impression - Change scale (CGI-I) scores to measure clinical relevance. One hundred and seventy datasets from 82 studies were included. The mean percentage HAMD change for treatment arms was 53.66%, and 29.81% for control arms, a statistically significant difference. Combined active therapies showed the biggest improvement on CGI-I score, followed by CBT alone. All active treatments had better than expected HAMD percentage reduction and CGI-I scores. CBT has a clinically relevant effect in depression, with a notional CGI-I score of 2.2, indicating a significant clinical response. The non-specific or placebo effect of being in a psychotherapy trial was a 29% reduction of HAMD.
Exploring the efficacy of psychological treatments for depression: a multiverse meta-analysis protocol.

In the past four decades, over 700 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and 80 meta-analyses have examined the efficacy of psychological treatments for depression. Overwhelming evidence suggests that all types of psychological treatments are effective. Yet, many aspects are still unexplored. Meta-analysts could perform hundreds of potential meta-analyses with the current literature, and a comprehensive bird's-eye view of all published studies is missing. This protocol outlines how a multiverse meta-analysis can evaluate the entire body of the literature on psychological treatments of depression in a single analysis. Thereby, gaps of evidence and areas of robustness are highlighted. We will conduct systematic literature searches in bibliographical databases (PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO and Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials) up until 1 January 2021. We will include all RCTs comparing a psychological treatment with a control condition. We will include studies published in English, German, Spanish or Dutch, and exclude trials on maintenance and relapse prevention as well as dissertations. Two independent researchers will check all records. All self-reported and clinician-rated instruments measuring depression are included. We will extract information on recruitment settings, target groups, age groups, comorbidity, intervention formats, psychotherapy types, number of sessions, control conditions and country. Two independent researchers will assess risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias assessment tool. As part of the multiverse meta-analysis, unweighted, fixed effect and random effects models will be calculated. As we will not collect any primary data, an ethical approval of this protocol is not required. We will publish the results in a peer-review journal and present them at international conferences. We will follow open science practices and provide our code and data.
[Psychotherapy of depressive disorders : Procedures, evidence and perspectives].

Depressive disorders are associated with a high burden of suffering and significantly reduce the well-being and the self-esteem of affected patients. Psychotherapy is one of the main treatment options for depressive disorders. The aim of this article is to present the current evidence for antidepressive psychotherapeutic treatments. During the revision of the German S3- and National Disease Management Guideline (NDMG) on unipolar depression in 2015, a comprehensive and systematic evidence search was conducted. The results of this search along with a systematic update are summarized. The most intensively investigated psychotherapeutic method is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which proved to be effective in many trials. Evidence also exists for psychodynamic psychotherapy and interpersonal therapy (IPT), followed by systemic therapy and client-centered psychotherapy; however, the evidence is less robust. Psychotherapy alone or in combination with pharmacotherapy was shown to be an effective treatment option. Psychotherapy represents a key element in the treatment of depressive disorders.
[Movement therapy and depression--evaluation study of a disorder-oriented and an unspecific movement-therapeutic support in clinical context].

In recent years body-orientated concepts have gained more and more importance in the therapy of mental disorders. But there is still a widespread skepticism about the effectiveness of movement-therapeutic measures. In the present study the effectiveness of an unspecific versus a disorder-orientated movement-therapy was tested in the clinical setting including a 6-month catamnesis with depressive patients (n=103) with a BDI >18. The results show, at every data point, the effectiveness of the measures for all investigated parameters. Both forms of movement-orientated interventions differ only slightly with regard to the therapeutic success. The catamnesis shows a big gap between resolution and actually realized activities. On the basis of the results it can be assumed that mainly general unspecific determinants play a more important role for the therapeutic success than assumed so far.
The effectiveness of Culturally Sensitive Collaborative Treatment of depressed Chinese in family medicine clinics: A randomized controlled trial.

To investigate whether the Culturally Sensitive Collaborative Treatment (CSCT) would improve outcomes for patients with major depression who were managed in family medicine clinics in Taiwan. A single-blinded randomized trial was conducted in 26 family medicine clinics. Patients with major depressive disorder were consecutively randomized to either CSCT or treatment as usual (TAU). The primary outcome was the severity of depression. Secondary outcomes included treatment response, treatment remission, quality of life, and medication adherence. Outcomes were compared using hierarchical linear models (mixed-effects models) from baseline to 26-week follow-up assessments. Of the 280 patients, 141 were randomized to TAU and 139 to CSCT. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that the CSCT group displayed significantly greater improvement in depressive symptoms over the study period when compared to the TAU group (B=-2.60, P<0.001). The odds of achieving the response, remission, and medication adherence were significantly greater for the CSCT group compared to the TAU group (odds ratio=4.65, 4.12, and 2.06, respectively; all Ps<0.05). However, both groups did not differ significantly in quality of life. CSCT is effective in improving treatment outcomes for major depression in family medicine clinics in Taiwan.
Effectiveness of a Multimodal Digital Psychotherapy Platform for Adult Depression: A Naturalistic Feasibility Study.

Although psychotherapy is one of the most efficacious and effective treatments for depression, limited accessibility to trained providers markedly limits access to care. In an attempt to overcome this obstacle, several platforms seeking to provide these services using digital modalities (eg, video, text, and chat) have been developed. However, the use of these modalities individually poses barriers to intervention access and acceptability. Multimodal platforms, comprising those that allow users to select from a number of available modalities, may be able to provide a solution to these concerns. We aimed to investigate the preliminary effectiveness of providing psychotherapy through a multimodal digital psychotherapy platform. In addition, we aimed to examine differential responses to intervention by gender, self-reported physical health status, and self-reported financial status, as well as how prior exposure to traditional face-to-face psychotherapy affected the effectiveness of a multimodal digital psychotherapy intervention. Finally, we aimed to examine the dose-response effect. Data were collected from a total of 318 active users of BetterHelp, a multimodal digital psychotherapy platform. Data on physical health status, financial status, and prior exposure to psychotherapy were obtained using self-report measures. Effectiveness was determined by the extent of symptom severity change, which was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire at Time 1 (time of enrollment) and Time 2 (3 months after enrollment). Intervention dosage was measured as the sum of individual therapist-user interactions across modalities. Depression symptom severity was significantly reduced after the use of the multimodal digital psychotherapy intervention (P<.001). Individuals without prior traditional psychotherapy experience revealed increased improvement after intervention (P=.006). We found no significant dose-response effect of therapy, nor significant differences in outcomes across gender, self-reported financial status, and self-reported physical health status. Users of BetterHelp experienced significantly reduced depression symptom severity after engaging with the platform. Study findings suggest that this intervention is equally effective across gender, self-reported financial status, and self-reported physical health status and particularly effective for individuals without a history of psychotherapy. Overall, study results suggest that multimodal digital psychotherapy is a potentially effective treatment for adult depression; nevertheless, experimental trials are needed. We discuss directions for future research.
The compensation and capitalization models: a test of two approaches to individualizing the treatment of depression.

Despite long-standing calls for the individualization of treatments for depression, modest progress has been made in this effort. The primary objective of this study was to test two competing approaches to personalizing cognitive-behavioral treatment of depression (viz., capitalization and compensation). Thirty-four adults meeting criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (59% female, 85% Caucasian) were randomized to 16-weeks of cognitive-behavioral treatment in which strategies used were selected based on either the capitalization approach (treatment matched to relative strengths) or the compensation approach (treatment matched to relative deficits). Outcome was assessed with a composite measure of both self-report (i.e., Beck Depression Inventory) and observer-rated (i.e., Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) depressive symptoms. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed a significant treatment approach by time interaction indicating a faster rate of symptom change for the capitalization approach compared to the compensation approach (d = .69, p = .03). Personalizing treatment to patients' relative strengths led to better outcome than treatment personalized to patients' relative deficits. If replicated, these findings would suggest a significant change in thinking about how therapists might best adapt cognitive-behavioral interventions for depression for particular patients.
A randomized controlled trial of internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy to prevent the development of depressive disorders in older adults with multimorbidity.

Multimorbidity, which commonly impacts older adults is associated with higher rates of depression. We aimed to investigate whether internet delivered cognitive-behaviour therapy (iCBT) could prevent depressive disorders in older adults with multimorbidity who were not currently depressed. 302 primary care and community participants aged 65 years and over, who had multimorbidity but did not meet criteria for a depressive disorder were randomised to an intervention group who received an eight-week, five session iCBT (n = 150) or to a control group (n = 152) who received treatment as usual. Diagnostic interviews were conducted at baseline, and three and six months after the intervention period, where indicated, and the presence of depressive disorder was the primary outcome. The intention to treat, chi-square analyses indicated there were significantly fewer cases of depressive disorder in the treatment group compared to the control group by six-month follow-up (χ²(1,302) = 5.21, p = .02). The main limitations of this RCT are a short follow up period and low proportion of participants who developed depressive disorders. Participants were relatively well educated, with a majority having English as their first language. These results indicate that depressive disorder was prevented in the first six months following iCBT with three times the number of cases of depressive disorder in the control group compared to the treatment group. Further research is required to determine whether iCBT can be effective for preventing depressive disorder in this population over a longer time period.