Comparing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Systemic Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder: Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial (SOPHO-CBT/ST).

This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to pilot the newly developed manualized and monitored systemic therapy (ST) for social anxiety disorder (SAD), as compared to manualized and monitored cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). We conducted a prospective multicenter, assessor-blind pilot RCT on 38 outpatients (ICD F40.1; Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID); Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, LSAS-SR >30). The primary outcome was level of social anxiety (LSAS-SR) at the end of treatment. A total of 252 persons were screened, and 38 patients were randomized and started therapy (CBT: 20 patients; ST: 18 patients; age: M = 36 years, SD = 14). Within-group, simple-effect intent-to-treat analyses (ITT) showed significant reduction in LSAS-SR (CBT:d = 1.04; ST:d = 1.67), while ITT mixed-design ANOVA demonstrated the advantage of ST (d = 0.81). Per-protocol analyses supported these results. Remission based on reliable change indices also demonstrated significant difference (LSAS-SR: 15% in CBT; 39% in ST;h: 0.550), supported by blind diagnosticians' ratings of those who completed therapy (SCID; 45% in CBT, 78% in ST,p = .083). No adverse events were reported. CBT and ST both reduced social anxiety, supporting patient improvement with the newly developed ST for SAD; this has yet to be verified in a subsequent confirmatory RCT.

Este ensayo controlado aleatorizado tuvo como finalidad probar la terapia sistémica (TS) estandarizada y monitoreada recientemente desarrollada para el trastorno de ansiedad social en comparación con la terapia cognitivo-conductual (TCC) estandarizada y monitoreada. Realizamos un ensayo controlado aleatorizado prospectivo, multicentro y con enmascaramiento para el evaluador en 38 pacientes ambulatorios (CIE F40.1; Entrevista Clínica Estructurada para los trastornos del DSM (SCID); Escala de Ansiedad Social de Liebowitz, LSAS-SR > 30). El resultado principal fue el nivel de ansiedad social (LSAS-SR) al final del tratamiento. Se evaluó a un total de 252 personas, 38 pacientes fueron aleatorizados y comenzaron la terapia (TCC: 20 pacientes; TS: 18 pacientes; edad: promedio= 36 años, desviación estándar = 14). Los análisis intragrupales, de efecto simple, con intención de tratar demostraron una reducción significativa del LSAS-SR (TCC: d = 1.04; TS: d = 1.67), mientras que el análisis de varianza de diseño mixto con intención de tratar demostró la ventaja de la TS (d = 0.81). Los análisis por protocolo respaldaron estos resultados. La remisión basada en los índices de cambio fiable también demostró una diferencia significativa (LSAS-SR: 15% en la TCC; 39% en la TS; h: 0.550), respaldada por diferencias casi significativas en las valoraciones con enmascaramiento para los evaluadores de aquellos que completaron la terapia (SCID; 45% en la TCC, 78% en la TS, p = 0.083). No se informaron efectos adversos. Tanto la TCC como la TS reducen la ansiedad social y respaldan la mejora de los pacientes con la terapia sistémica recientemente desarrollada para los trastornos de ansiedad social; esto aun debe verificarse en un ensayo controlado aleatorizado confirmatorio posterior.

[Mindfulness in Trainee Psychotherapies with Children and Adolescents]. / Achtsamkeit in Ausbildungspsychotherapien bei Kindern und Jugendlichen.

Mindfulness in Trainee Psychotherapies with Children and Adolescents The implementation of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in cognitive-behavioral therapy has greatly increased over the past few years. However, there is little research about the implementation of MBIs in individual child and adolescent psychotherapy. The present paper gives an overview of current MBIs and their efficacy in children and adolescents. A depiction of the implementation of MBIs in individual therapy and a description of the "Mindfulness and Relaxation Study - Children and Adolescents" (MARS-CA) is given. The study aims to examine the effects of short session-introducing interventions with mindfulness elements on juvenile patients' psychopathological symptomatology and therapeutic alliance. For this reason, the authors compare session-introducing interventions with mindfulness elements with session-introducing relaxation interventions and no session-introducing intervention. Qualitative results of the pre-study show that both interventions with mindfulness elements and relaxation interventions work well with juvenile patients.

Heart Rate Variability in Individual Psychotherapy: Associations With Alliance and Outcome.

Heart rate variability (HRV) can be conceptualized as a marker of an individual's capability to adaptively respond to its environment and has been linked with mental health. Although conceptually and empirically linked to social behavior and thus relevant in the therapeutic setting, HRV is seldom investigated directly within therapy sessions. In the present examination, we aimed at addressing this research gap by assessing patients' and therapists' HRVs both ambulatory within therapy sessions and under resting conditions. Drawing on polyvagal theory, we hypothesized that higher in-session HRV is accompanied with higher therapeutic alliance ratings. Further, we expected baseline HRV to predict symptomatic outcome and to increase over the course of therapy. In a sample of 53 outpatients receiving 25 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy, we measured HRV, therapeutic alliance and depressive symptoms on four occasions. Multilevel modeling analyses demonstrated that patients with higher in-session high-frequency HRV rated the therapeutic alliance higher. Baseline HRV predicted symptomatic outcome and increased over the course of therapy. Possible explanations involve a link between in-session HRV and in-session behavior and should be investigated in future studies. The results highlight the usefulness of in-session HRV as a promising process variable in psychotherapy research.

Mindfulness and progressive muscle relaxation as standardized session-introduction in individual therapy: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: There is scarce research on the effects of mindfulness in individual therapy. As many practitioners integrate mindfulness exercises into individual therapy, empirical evidence is of high clinical relevance. METHOD: We investigated the effects of a session-introducing intervention with mindfulness elements (SIIME) in a randomized, controlled design. The effects of SIIME on therapeutic alliance and symptomatic outcome were compared with progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) and treatment-as-usual (TAU) control conditions. The sample comprised 162 patients with anxiety and depression. RESULTS: Multilevel modeling revealed a significant symptom reduction and significant increase of alliance over the course of therapy. There were no significant time-condition interactions on outcome and alliance, indicating the comparable efficiency of all three treatment conditions. CONCLUSIONS: We found no advantage of SIIME versus PMR and TAU. Add-on mindfulness might not improve individual therapy related to alliance and outcome.

Increasing the treatment motivation of patients with somatic symptom disorder: applying the URICA-S scale.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic intervention programs for somatic symptom disorder (SSD) show only small-to-moderate effect sizes. These effects are partly explained by the motivational problems of SSD patients. Hence, fostering treatment motivation could increase treatment success. One central aspect in SSD patients might be damage to motivation because of symptomatic relapses. Consequently, the aim of the present study was to investigate associations between motivational relapse struggle and therapeutic outcome in SSD patients. METHODS: We assessed 84 inpatients diagnosed with SSD in the early, middle and late stages of their inpatient treatment. The maintenance subscale of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment-Short (URICA-S) was applied as a measure to assess motivational relapse struggle. Additionally, patients completed measures of treatment outcome that focus on clinical symptoms, stress levels and interpersonal functioning. RESULTS: The results from multiple regression analyses indicate that higher URICA-S maintenance scores assessed in early stages of inpatient treatment were related to more negative treatment outcomes in SSD patients. CONCLUSIONS: SSD patients with ambivalent treatment motivation may fail in their struggle against relapse over the course of therapy. The URICA-S maintenance score assessed at therapy admission facilitated early identification of SSD patients who are at greater risk of relapse. Future studies should incorporate randomized controlled trials to investigate whether this subgroup could benefit from motivational interventions that address relapse.

[Change Factors in Group Therapy: Development and Validation of a Questionnaire]. / Wirkfaktoren in der Gruppentherapie: Entwicklung und Validierung eines Fragebogens.

While the efficacy of group therapy is sufficiently confirmed, there is a research gap concerning relevant therapeutic processes. Particularly, there is a dearth of integrative instruments that assess a broad spectrum of group therapeutic change factors. Hence, the aim of the current investigation was the validation of the newly developed "Scale for the assessment of therapeutic processes in group therapy (FEPiG)" based on Grawe's general psychotherapy and Yalom's conception of change factors in group therapy. 303 Patients (110 outpatients, 193 inpatients) participated in the study and completed the FEPiG as well as established measures concerning group processes. The outpatients additionally received established questionnaires concerning clinical symptomatology and filled out all instruments at the beginning and end of treatment. Factor analysis demonstrated an excellent factor structure of the FEPiG, which corresponded to the theoretically predicted subscales. Internal consistencies of the FEPiG were good to excellent and correlated with established process measures, which indicated convergent validity. While the FEPiG change factors subscales at the beginning of therapy were not correlated with outcome, associations between increases in change factors across the course of therapy and symptom reduction could be demonstrated.

Preliminary Evidence for a Nexus between Rumination, Behavioural Avoidance, Motive Satisfaction and Depression.

UNLABELLED: The present study tested a theoretically derived link between rumination and depressive symptoms through behavioural avoidance and reduced motive satisfaction as a key aspect of positive reinforcement. Rumination, behavioural avoidance, motive satisfaction and levels of depression were assessed via self-report measures in a clinical sample of 160 patients with major depressive disorder. Path analysis-based mediation analysis was used to estimate the direct and indirect effects as proposed by the theoretical model. Operating in serial, behavioural avoidance and motive satisfaction partially mediated the association between rumination and depressive symptoms, irrespective of gender, medication and co-morbid anxiety disorders. This is the first study investigating the associations between behavioural avoidance, rumination and depression in a clinical sample of depressed patients. The findings are in line with an understanding of rumination in depression as also serving an avoidance function. KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGE: Rumination, avoidance, motive satisfaction and levels of depressive symptoms were examined in a clinical sample of 160 outpatients with major depressive disorder. Path analysis-based mediation analysis revealed that, operating in serial, avoidance and motive satisfaction partially mediated the link between rumination and levels of depressive symptoms. Findings support an understanding of rumination in depression as serving an avoidance function.

Training cognitive flexibility in patients with anorexia nervosa: a pilot randomized controlled trial of cognitive remediation therapy.

OBJECTIVE: Inefficient cognitive flexibility is considered a neurocognitive trait marker involved in the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN). Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) is a specific treatment targeting this cognitive style. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and efficacy (by estimating the effect size) of specifically tailored CRT for AN, compared to non-specific cognitive training. METHOD: A prospective, randomized controlled, superiority pilot trial was conducted. Forty women with AN receiving treatment as usual (TAU) were randomized to receive either CRT or non-specific neurocognitive therapy (NNT) as an add-on. Both conditions comprised 30 sessions of computer-assisted (21 sessions) and face-to-face (9 sessions) training over a 3-week period. CRT focused specifically on cognitive flexibility. NNT was comprised of tasks designed to improve attention and memory. The primary outcome was performance on a neuropsychological post-treatment assessment of cognitive set-shifting. RESULTS: Data available from 25 treatment completers were analyzed. Participants in the CRT condition outperformed participants in the NNT condition in cognitive set-shifting at the end of the treatment (p = 0.027; between-groups effect size d = 0.62). Participants in both conditions showed high treatment acceptance. DISCUSSION: This study confirms the feasibility of CRT for AN, and provides a first estimate of the effect size that can be achieved using CRT for AN. Furthermore, the present findings corroborate that neurocognitive training for AN should be tailored to the specific cognitive inefficiencies of this patient group.

Interpersonal motives in anorexia nervosa: the fear of losing one's autonomy.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the widely held but insufficiently studied hypothesis of autonomy disturbances in anorexia nervosa. METHOD: A total sample of 112 participants comprising patients with acute anorexia nervosa (AN), women recovered from anorexia nervosa (REC), clinical controls (CC), and healthy controls (HC) completed measures of dependency and intimacy strivings, as well as measures of frustrations of these same strivings. RESULTS: In comparison to HC and CC, AN showed a stronger motivation to avoid dependency and lower strivings for intimacy. Compared with HC, but not with CC, AN also showed stronger frustrations of the same motives. Whereas REC did not differ from AN regarding avoidance of dependency, they reported lower frustration of dependency avoidance (i.e., less actual experiences of dependency). Finally, REC reported higher intimacy motivation as well as better satisfaction of intimacy motivation as compared with AN. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that a pronounced motive of avoiding dependency may be a vulnerability factor for anorexia nervosa that is disorder-specific and trait-like. Frustrations of this motive seem to be associated with psychopathology.

The thinner the better: self-esteem and low body weight in anorexia nervosa.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the present study was to examine the associations between self-esteem, motive satisfaction, and body weight in acute (acAN) and recovered (recAN) inpatients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and in healthy controls. Both acAN and recAN showed lower levels of self-esteem as compared with healthy controls but did not differ from each other. In acAN, decreased body weight was associated with increased self-esteem. Satisfaction of an achievement motive but not satisfaction of a superiority motive mediated this association. No such correlations could be observed in the other groups. This is the first study to show an often assumed association between decreased body weight and increased self-esteem in AN patients. These preliminary results strengthen the assumption that low body weight may foster self-esteem in patients with acAN, mainly through the satisfaction of an achievement motive. KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGE: Self-esteem should be focused very early in the treatment of AN since weight gain may deprive the patient of an important source of self-esteem. Treatment interventions should be attuned to underlying motives of threatened self-esteem; in AN patients, the enhancement of self-esteem via weight loss seems to be rather fuelled by the satisfaction of an achievement motive than by the satisfaction of a superiority motive. Specific trainings to improve self-esteem in AN patients seem to be promising as an add-on to regular treatment.

Starvation and emotion regulation in anorexia nervosa.

Self-starvation, with concomitant weight loss, may serve as a dysfunctional behavior to attenuate negative affective states in anorexia nervosa (AN). A total of 91 participants composed of patients with acute AN, women recovered from AN, clinical controls with either depression or anxiety disorder, and healthy controls were tested on a measure of emotion regulation. Patients with acute AN as well as recovered patients with AN and clinical controls showed increased emotion regulation difficulties as compared with healthy controls. In patients with acute AN, a specific association between body weight and emotion regulation was found: the lower the body mass index in patients with acute AN, the lesser were their difficulties in emotion regulation. This association could only be found in the subsample of patients with acute AN but not in the control groups. Moreover, there were no confounding effects of depression or duration of illness. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that self-starvation with accompanying low body weight serves as a dysfunctional behavior to regulate aversive emotions in AN.

The impact of session-introducing mindfulness and relaxation interventions in individual psychotherapy for children and adolescents: a randomized controlled trial (MARS-CA).

BACKGROUND: The investigation of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in cognitive-behavioral therapy has greatly increased over the past years. However, most MBI research with youth focuses on structured, manualized group programs, conducted in school settings. Knowledge about the implementation and effects of MBIs in individual psychotherapy with children and adolescents is scarce. To fill this research gap, the "Mindfulness and Relaxation Study - Children and Adolescents" (MARS-CA) is designed. It aims to assess the effects of short session-introducing interventions with mindfulness elements on juvenile patients' symptomatic outcome and therapeutic alliance in individual child and adolescent psychotherapy. METHODS: MARS-CA is conducted at a university outpatient training center for cognitive-behavior therapy. Short session-introducing interventions with mindfulness elements will be compared to short session-introducing relaxation interventions and no session-introducing intervention to explore their effects on symptomatic outcome and therapeutic alliance. The session-introducing interventions will take place at the beginning of 24 subsequent therapy sessions. We hypothesize that patients' symptomatic outcome and therapeutic alliance improve more strongly in the mindfulness condition than in the other two conditions and that the mindfulness condition moderates the relationship between therapeutic alliance and symptomatic outcome. Patients and their trainee therapists will be randomized to one of the three treatment arms. Participants aged between 11 and 19 years and having a primary diagnosis of either a depressive disorder, an anxiety disorder, or a hyperkinetic disorder will be included. Therapeutic alliance will be assessed after every therapy session (therapy session 1 to therapy session 24), symptomatic outcome will be assessed before the start of treatment (pre), after the 3rd, the 10th, and the 17th therapy sessions, at the end of treatment (24th therapy session, post), and at a 6-month follow-up. Additionally, mindfulness and mindfulness-related measures as well as demographic data, adherence, allegiance, and therapeutic techniques will be assessed. It is our aim to assess a sample of 135 patients. We will conduct multilevel modeling to address the nested data structure. DISCUSSION: The study can provide information about how add-on MBIs, conducted by trainee therapists, influence therapeutic alliance and symptomatic outcome in individual psychotherapy in children and adolescents. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04034576. Registered on July 17, 2019.

Integrative systemic and family therapy for social anxiety disorder: Manual and practice in a pilot randomized controlled trial (SOPHO-CBT/ST).

Social anxiety disorders (SAD) are among the most prevalent mental disorders (lifetime prevalence: 7-12%), with high impact on the life of an affected social system and its individual social system members. We developed a manualized disorder-specific integrative systemic and family therapy (ISFT) for SAD, and evaluated its feasibility in a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT). The ISFT is inspired by Helm Stierlin's concept of related individuation developed during the early 1980s, which has since continued to be refined. It integrates solution-focused language, social network diagnostics, and genogram work, as well as resource- and problem orientation for both case conceptualization and therapy planning. Post-Milan symptom prescription to fluidize the presented symptoms is one of the core interventions in the ISFT. Theoretically, the IFST is grounded in radical constructivism and "Cybern-Ethics," multi-directional partiality, and a both/and attitude toward a disorder-specific vs. non-disorder-specific therapy approach. SAD is understood from the viewpoint of social systems theory, especially in adaptation to a socio-psycho-biological explanatory model of social anxiety. In a prospective multicenter, assessor-blind pilot RCT, we included 38 clients with SAD (ICD F40.1; Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, LSAS-SR > 30): 18 patients participated in the ISFT, and 20 patients in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT; age: M = 36 years, SD = 14). Within-group, simple-effect intention-to-treat analyses showed significant reduction in social anxiety (LSAS-SR; ISFT: d = 1.67; CBT: d = 1.04), while intention-to-treat mixed-design ANOVA demonstrated the advantage of ISFT (d = 0.81). Per-protocol analyses supported these results. The remission rate based on blind diagnosticians' ratings was good to satisfactory (Structured Clinical Interview, SCID; 78% in ST, 45% in CBT, p = 0.083); this has yet to be verified in a subsequent confirmatory RCT. The article will present the ISFT rationale and manual, including a special focus on multi-person settings, and the central findings from our pilot RCT.

Validation of the URICA-S in Group Therapy: Associations of Stages of Change with Therapeutic Factors and Treatment Outcome.

Stages of change could be driving forces to activate the realization of therapeutic factors and symptom change. Consequently, the aims of the present study were to investigate whether the stages of change concept is valid in group therapy settings shown by factor analysis, internal consistencies, and criterion validity. A total of 377 patients completed measures of stages of change, symptom change, and therapeutic factors. A confirmatory factor analysis replicated the stages of change factors for group therapy. Related to the criterion validity, stages of change demonstrated only low, non-significant associations with symptom change, but some stages of change were significant predictors of certain therapeutic factors. Further research is needed to explore whether a stronger focus on motivational stages of change could help to intensify the realization of therapeutic factors in group therapy.

Effects of mindfulness exercises as stand-alone intervention on symptoms of anxiety and depression: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are currently well established in psychotherapy with meta-analyses demonstrating their efficacy. In these multifaceted interventions, the concrete performance of mindfulness exercises is typically integrated in a larger therapeutic framework. Thus, it is unclear whether stand-alone mindfulness exercises (SAMs) without such a framework are beneficial, as well. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis regarding the effects of SAMs on symptoms of anxiety and depression. Systematic searching of electronic databases resulted in 18 eligible studies (n = 1150) for meta-analyses. After exclusion of one outlier SAMs had small to medium effects on anxiety (SMD = 0.39; CI: 0.22, 0.56; PI: 0.07, 0.70; p < .001, I2 = 18.90%) and on depression (SMD = 0.41; CI: 0.19, 0.64; PI: -0.05, 0.88; p < .001; I2 = 33.43%), when compared with controls. Summary effect estimates decreased, but remained significant when corrected for potential publication bias. This is the first meta-analysis to show that the mere, regular performance of mindfulness exercises is beneficial, even without being integrated in larger therapeutic frameworks.

Cognitive-Behavioral and Psychodynamic Therapy in Female Adolescents With Bulimia Nervosa: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: The authors compared cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of bulimia nervosa (BN) in female adolescents. METHOD: In this randomized controlled trial, 81 female adolescents with BN or partial BN according to the DSM-IV received a mean of 36.6 sessions of manualized disorder-oriented PDT or CBT. Trained psychologists blinded to treatment condition administered the outcome measures at baseline, during treatment, at the end of treatment, and 12 months after treatment. The primary outcome was the rate of remission, defined as a lack of DSM-IV diagnosis for BN or partial BN at the end of therapy. Several secondary outcome measures were evaluated. RESULTS: The remission rates for CBT and PDT were 33.3% and 31.0%, respectively, with no significant differences between them (odds ratio [OR] = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.35-2.28, p = .82). The within-group effect sizes were h = 1.22 for CBT and h = 1.18 for PDT. Significant improvements in all secondary outcome measures were found for both CBT (d = 0.51-0.82) and PDT (d = 0.24-1.10). The improvements remained stable at the 12-month follow-up in both groups. There were small between-group effect sizes for binge eating (d = 0.23) and purging (d = 0.26) in favor of CBT and for eating concern (d = -0.35) in favor of PDT. CONCLUSION: CBT and PDT were effective in promoting recovery from BN in female adolescents. The rates of remission for both therapies were similar to those in other studies evaluating CBT. This trial identified differences with small effects in binge eating, purging, and eating concern. Clinical trial registration information-Treating Bulimia Nervosa in Female Adolescents With Either Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Psychodynamic Therapy (PDT). http://isrctn.com/; ISRCTN14806095.

The therapeutic alliance in different mental disorders: A comparison of patients with depression, somatoform, and eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: The therapeutic alliance is intensively investigated in psychotherapy research. However, there is scarce research on the role of the specific diagnosis of the patient in the formation of the therapeutic alliance. Hence, the aim of this study was to address this research gap by comparing the alliance in different mental disorders. DESIGN: Our sample comprised 348 patients (mean age = 40 years; 68% female; 133 patients with depression, 122 patients with somatoform disorders, and 93 patients with eating disorders). METHODS: Patients completed the Working Alliance Inventory and measures of therapeutic outcome in early, middle, and late stages of inpatient psychotherapy. We applied multivariate multilevel models to address the nested data structure. RESULTS: All three disorder groups experienced positive alliances that increased across the course of therapy and showed similar alliance-outcome relations that were of comparable strengths as in current meta-analyses. However, we found perspective incongruence of alliance ratings from patient and therapist in the three disorder groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results generally indicate that the working alliance is of importance irrespective of the specific mental disorder. Perspective incongruence feedback of working alliance experiences could help to strengthen coordination between patient and therapist and thereby improve the therapeutic process. Further implications of these findings are discussed. PRACTITIONER POINTS: We found no differences in the strengths of alliance ratings and alliance-outcome associations in depressive, somatoform, and eating disorder patients. This indicates that the working alliance is of general clinical importance irrespective of the disorder group and should be a central target in all therapies. We found perspective incongruence in alliance ratings between patient and therapist in all three disorder groups. Perspective incongruence feedback of working alliance experiences could help to strengthen coordination between patient and therapist and thereby improve the therapeutic process.

Comparing systemic therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorders: study protocol for a randomized controlled pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: Social anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent anxiety disorders in the general population. The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for social anxiety disorders is well demonstrated. However, only three studies point to the efficacy of systemic therapy (ST) in anxiety disorders, and only two of them especially focus on social anxiety disorders. These ST studies either do not use a good comparator but minimal supportive therapy, they do not use a multi-person ST but a combined therapy, or they do not especially focus on social anxiety disorders but mood and anxiety disorders in general. Though ST was approved as evidence based in Germany for a variety of disorders in 2008, evidence did not include anxiety disorders. This is the first pilot study that will investigate multi-person ST, integrating a broad range of systemic methods, specifically for social anxiety disorders and that will compare ST to the "gold standard" CBT. DESIGN: This article describes the rationale and protocol of a prospective, open, interventive, balanced, bi-centric, pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT). A total of 32 patients with a primary SCID diagnosis of social anxiety disorder will be randomized to either CBT or ST. Both treatments will be manualized. The primary outcome will include social anxiety symptoms at the end of therapy. Therapy will be restricted to no more than 26 hours (primary endpoint). Secondary outcomes will include psychological, social systems and interpersonal functioning, symptom adjustment, and caregiver burden, in addition to change measures, therapist variables and treatment adherence. At the secondary endpoints, 9 and 12 months after the beginning of therapy, we will again assess all outcomes. DISCUSSION: The study is expected to pilot test a RCT which will be the first to directly compare CBT and multi-person ST, integrating a broad range of systemic methods, for social anxiety disorders, and it will provide empirical evidence for the calculation of the number of patients needed for a confirmatory RCT. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02360033 ; date of registration: 21 January 2015.

Mood-incongruent processing during the recall of a sad life event predicts the course and severity of depression.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that mood-incongruent processing constitutes an adaptive mood regulation strategy, and that difficulties in this process may contribute to the maintenance of depression. However, no study has yet examined whether mood-incongruent processing predicts the course and severity of clinical depression. METHODS: To address this question, the present study used a prospective, longitudinal design to examine the effects of mood-incongruent processing in a sample of 59 clinically depressed patients. At baseline, participants were asked to recall and describe a sad and a happy life event. Participants' utterances were transcribed and analysed using computerized text analysis. Negated emotion words were excluded. The proportion of positive emotion words during sad memory recall was used as an indicator of mood-incongruent processing. After 6 months, participants were re-assessed for symptom levels and the criteria of major depressive disorder (MDD) during the follow-up period. RESULTS: Higher relative frequency of positive emotion words during sad memory recall was associated with less symptoms of depression at follow-up and shorter time to recovery from MDD, over and above baseline symptoms of depression. The effect was not just due to increased general positivity in emotional expression or emotional expressiveness per se. LIMITATIONS: The sample size and the timeframe for the follow-up assessment were limited. Furthermore, it is unknown to which degree word use reflects the actual experience of the expressed emotions. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the role of mood-incongruent processing in the maintenance of depression and advocate a stronger focus on mood-incongruent processing in the treatment of depression.

Differentiating early-onset chronic depression from episodic depression in terms of cognitive-behavioral and emotional avoidance.

BACKGROUND: Although chronic depression is associated with lower global functioning and poorer treatment response than episodic depression, little is known about the differences between these two forms of depression in terms of psychological factors. Thus, the present study aimed at differentiating chronic and episodic depression regarding cognitive-behavioral and emotional avoidance that have been proposed as important risk factors for depression and promising targets for the treatment of depression. METHODS: Thirty patients with early onset chronic depression were compared with 30 patients with episodic depression and 30 healthy, never-depressed controls in terms of self-reported cognitive-behavioral (social and non-social) and emotional avoidance. RESULTS: Chronically depressed patients reported more avoidance than healthy controls in each of the measures. Moreover, they reported more cognitive-nonsocial and behavioral-nonsocial as well as behavioral-social and emotional avoidance (in the form of restricted emotional expression to others) than patients with episodic depression. This kind of emotional avoidance also separated best between chronically and episodically depressed patients. Furthermore, general emotion avoidance and behavioral-social avoidance were positively correlated with levels of depression in chronically depressed patients. LIMITATIONS: The results are based on self-report data and should thus be interpreted with caution. Additionally, the cross-sectional design limits any causal conclusions. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the relevance of cognitive-behavioral and emotional avoidance in differentiating chronic from episodic depression and healthy controls and advocate a stronger focus on maladaptive avoidance processes in the treatment of chronic depression.