Clinical trial NCT01882452: A Randomised Controlled Clinical Trial of Memory Specificity Training (MEST) for Depression
Official title: A Randomised Controlled Clinical Trial of Memory Specificity Training (MEST) for Depression
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Major Depressive Disorder
Depressive Symptoms
Keywords: Memory specificity training
Autobiographical memory
Major depressive disorder
Lead sponsor: Medical Research Council
Sponsor class: OTHER_GOV
Collaborators: name: KU Leuven
First posted: 2013-06-20
Enrollment: 60
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 65
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Depression involves the tendency to recall overgeneral personal memories, a phenomenon which has been linked to numerous adverse psychological outcomes. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a group-based Memory Specificity Training (MEST) programme improves outcomes in depression, and how this compares to an education and support control group. The primary aim is to examine whether MEST, which involves repeated practice retrieving specific autobiographical memories reduces depressive symptoms immediately post-treatment, and whether this is maintained 3 months after treatment. The secondary objective of this trial is to examine the role of hypothesised cognitive processes (ie., rumination, executive control, cognitive avoidance) which may underlie improvements in depression and memory.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Principal diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder
* History of more than one previous depressive episode
* Current diagnosis of a Major Depressive Episode
* Depressive symptoms rated in the mild-severe range (\> 13 on the BDI-II)
* Memory specificity \< .70 (as assessed on the AMT)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Head trauma
* Organic brain damage
* Secondary diagnosis of another affective disorder
* Psychosis
* Current drug or alcohol abuse or dependence
* A diagnosed Axis II disorder

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change from baseline in depressive symptoms on the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II)
timeFrame: Change from baseline to 3 months post-treatment
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in depressive status according to the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - IV (SCID-IV)
timeFrame: Change from baseline at end of treatment (approximately 6 weeks) and 3 months post-treatment, and 6-months post-treatment (6-month follow-up for MEST group only)
measure: Change from baseline in autobiographical memory specificity on Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT)
timeFrame: Change from baseline at end of treatment (approximately 6 weeks) and 3 months post-treatment
measure: Change from baseline in depressive symptoms as measured on the BDI-II
timeFrame: Change from baseline to post-treatment (approximately 6-weeks)
measure: Depression free days following treatment according to the Longitudinal Follow-up Evaluation on the SCID-IV
timeFrame: Post-treatment and 3-month and 6-month follow-up
Other outcomes:
measure: Change from baseline on the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)
timeFrame: Change from baseline at end of treatment (approximately 6 weeks) and 3 months post-treatment
measure: Change from baseline on the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS)
timeFrame: Change from baseline at end of treatment (approximately 6 weeks) and 3 months post-treatment
measure: Change from baseline on the Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ)
timeFrame: Change from baseline at end of treatment (approximately 6 weeks) and 3 months post-treatment
measure: Change in baseline on Rumination Response Scale (RRS)
timeFrame: Change from baseline at end of treatment (approximately 6 weeks) and 3 months post-treatment
measure: Change from baseline in performance on Means-Ends Problem Solving Task (MEPS)
timeFrame: Change from baseline at end of treatment (approximately 6 weeks) and 3 months post-treatment
measure: Change from baseline in performance on Verbal Fluency Task
timeFrame: Change from baseline at end of treatment (approximately 6 weeks) and 3 months post-treatment
measure: Change in baseline on performance on Digit Span Task
timeFrame: Change from baseline at end of treatment (approximately 6 weeks) and 3 months post-treatment
Locations:
city: Sydney
country: Australia
facility: Aliza Werner-Seidler
Study officials:
affiliation: Medical Research Council
name: Tim Dalgleish, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Werner-Seidler A, Hitchcock C, Bevan A, McKinnon A, Gillard J, Dahm T, Chadwick I, Panesar I, Breakwell L, Mueller V, Rodrigues E, Rees C, Gormley S, Schweizer S, Watson P, Raes F, Jobson L, Dalgleish T. A cluster randomized controlled platform trial comparing group MEmory specificity training (MEST) to group psychoeducation and supportive counselling (PSC) in the treatment of recurrent depression. Behav Res Ther. 2018 Jun;105:1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2018.03.004. Epub 2018 Mar 15.
citation: Dalgleish T, Bevan A, McKinnon A, Breakwell L, Mueller V, Chadwick I, Schweizer S, Hitchcock C, Watson P, Raes F, Jobson L, Werner-Seidler A. A comparison of MEmory Specificity Training (MEST) to education and support (ES) in the treatment of recurrent depression: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial. Trials. 2014 Jul 22;15:293. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-15-293.