Larger putamen in individuals at risk and with manifest bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND: Individuals at risk for bipolar disorder (BD) have a wide range of genetic and non-genetic risk factors, like a positive family history of BD or (sub)threshold affective symptoms. Yet, it is unclear whether these individuals at risk and those diagnosed with BD share similar gray matter brain alterations. METHODS: In 410 male and female participants aged 17-35 years, we compared gray matter volume (3T MRI) between individuals at risk for BD (as assessed using the EPIbipolar scale; n = 208), patients with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of BD (n = 87), and healthy controls (n = 115) using voxel-based morphometry in SPM12/CAT12. We applied conjunction analyses to identify similarities in gray matter volume alterations in individuals at risk and BD patients, relative to healthy controls. We also performed exploratory whole-brain analyses to identify differences in gray matter volume among groups. ComBat was used to harmonize imaging data from seven sites. RESULTS: Both individuals at risk and BD patients showed larger volumes in the right putamen than healthy controls. Furthermore, individuals at risk had smaller volumes in the right inferior occipital gyrus, and BD patients had larger volumes in the left precuneus, compared to healthy controls. These findings were independent of course of illness (number of lifetime manic and depressive episodes, number of hospitalizations), comorbid diagnoses (major depressive disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorder, eating disorder), familial risk, current disease severity (global functioning, remission status), and current medication intake. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that alterations in the right putamen might constitute a vulnerability marker for BD.

Differential Psychological Treatment Effects in Patients With Late-Life Depression and a History of Childhood Maltreatment.

OBJECTIVE: This is the first interventional study to assess the impact of childhood maltreatment (CM) on psychological treatment outcomes in patients with late-life depression (LLD). METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a multicenter, randomized controlled trial with 251 participants aged ≥60 years with moderate to severe depression. Participants were randomly assigned to cognitive behavioral therapy for late life depression (LLD-CBT) or to a supportive intervention (SUI). Treatment outcomes were measured by changes in the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). RESULTS: In the intention-to-treat sample (n = 229), both LLD-CBT (n = 115) and SUI (n = 114) significantly reduced depressive symptoms in patients with CM, with large effects at post-treatment (d = 0.95 [95% CI: 0.65 to 1.25] in LLD-CBT; d = 0.82 [95% CI: 0.52 to 1.12] in SUI). A significant treatment group*CM interaction (F(1,201.31) = 4.71; p = .031) indicated greater depressive symptom reduction in LLD-CBT compared to SUI at week 5 and post-treatment for patients without CM, but not at 6-month follow-up. Across both treatments, higher severity of the CM subtype 'physical neglect' was associated with a smaller depressive symptom reduction (F(1,207.16) = 5.37; p = .021). CONCLUSIONS: Specific and non-specific psychotherapy effectively reduced depressive symptoms in older individuals with depression and early trauma. For patients without early trauma, LLD-CBT may be preferable over SUI. Considering early trauma subtypes may contribute to develop personalized treatment approaches.

Longitudinal Clusters of Long-Term Trajectories in Patients with Early-Onset Chronic Depression: 2 Years of Naturalistic Follow-Up after Extensive Psychological Treatment.

INTRODUCTION: In clinical trials, mostly group-level treatment effects of repeated cross-sectional measures are analyzed. However, substantial heterogeneity regarding individual symptom profiles and the variability of treatment effects are often neglected, especially over the long-term course. To provide effective personalized treatments, investigations of these characteristics are urgently needed. METHODS: Depression severity ratings over 104 weeks of follow-up after year-long treatment with the Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) or Supportive Psychotherapy (SP) were analyzed. Longitudinal cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis were conducted to investigate intraindividual trajectories from one of the largest psychotherapy trials in early-onset chronic depression. RESULTS: Two-year post-study-treatment trajectories of N = 188 patients with early-onset chronic depression were grouped into four prototypical clusters. Overall, 16.0% of patients remitted (cluster 1) and most of them did not receive any treatment during the 2-year follow-up. However, 84.0% of patients continued to experience subthreshold (37.2% cluster 2) or major depressive symptoms (46.8% clusters 3-4) and spent on average more than half of the follow-up in pharmacological and psychological treatment. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that previous study treatment with CBASP or SP did not significantly predict cluster allocation, while baseline variables accounted for a large proportion of explained variance (R2 N = 0.64). CONCLUSION: While some patients experienced stable remission over 2 years of follow-up, the majority of patients experienced subthreshold or major depressive symptoms regardless of former study treatment with CBASP or SP. This calls for a long-term perspective implementing staging and innovative treatment approaches such as the sequential model or modular psychotherapy.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Late-Life Depression (CBTlate): Results of a Multicenter, Randomized, Observer-Blinded, Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Different psychotherapeutic interventions for late-life depression (LLD) have been proposed, but their evaluation in large, multicenter trials is rare. OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluated the efficacy of a specific cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for LLD (LLD-CBT) in comparison with a supportive unspecific intervention (SUI), both administered in a specialist psychiatric outpatient setting. METHODS: In this randomized, controlled, parallel group trial, we recruited participants (≥60 years) with moderate to severe depression at 7 trial sites in Germany. Participants were randomly assigned to the LLD-CBT or SUI group. The primary outcome was depression severity at the end of treatment measured by change on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Secondary outcomes included change in observer-rated depression, anxiety, sleep ratings, and quality of life throughout the treatment phase and at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: Between October 1, 2018, and November 11, 2020, we randomly assigned 251 patients to either LLD-CBT (n = 126) or SUI (n = 125), of whom 229 provided primary-outcome data. There was no significant between-group difference in the change in GDS scores at the end of treatment (estimated marginal mean difference: -1.01 [95% CI: -2.88 to 0.86]; p = 0.287). Secondary analyses showed significant improvements in several outcomes after 8 weeks and at follow-up in both treatment arms. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that LLD-specific CBT and a supportive unspecific treatment both provide clinical benefit in patients with moderate to severe LLD without evidence for superiority of LLD-CBT.

Food-related reward sensitivity across the spectrum of body weight and impulsive eating: Pilot findings from a multi-method approach.

Overweight with and without comorbid binge-eating disorder (BED) has been associated with increased reward sensitivity, though evidence is heterogeneous. To disentangle this heterogeneity and gain insights into mechanisms of impaired reward processing, this study applied multi-method neuro-behavioural techniques. Reward sensitivity was investigated in N = 49 participants allocated to three subgroups: overweight individuals with BED (BED+, n = 17), overweight individuals without BED (BED-, n = 15), and normal-weight controls (NWC, n = 17). Applying a free exploration paradigm (food vs. non-food stimuli), eye tracking and electroencephalographic data were gathered. A valid cue before stimulus onset indicated the position of food, and the end points analysed after the cue and stimulus onset were attentional approach, attention allocation, and conflict processing (e.g., conflict between looking at the potentially rewarding food stimulus or not). The effect of negative mood was tested using mood induction. The study's main hypothesis was that individuals with overweight, particularly under negative mood, would have increased food-related reward sensitivity. All participants showed increased food-specific attentional approach (p < .001). BED + allocated more attention to food stimuli than non-food stimuli compared to the healthy control (p = .045). For individuals with overweight but without BED (BED-), results indicate that conflict processing might be prolonged after the stimulus onset (p = .011). No group-specific effect of negative mood was found. Preliminary results in overweight individuals with and without comorbid BED suggest that food stimuli are generally rewarding stimuli, but even more so for participants with binge eating psychopathology. Prolonged conflict processing during the confrontation with competing food and non-food stimuli was solely found in the BED- sample and might indicate a compensation mechanism. Replication is warranted. The multi-method approach seems to be promising to give indications for the development of psychotherapeutic treatment.

Recovery from chronic depression and structural change: 5-year outcomes after psychoanalytic and cognitive-behavioural long-term treatments (LAC depression study).

OBJECTIVE: Psychotherapy of chronic depression has remained a challenge due to limited prognosis and high rates of recurrence. We present 5-year outcome data from a multicentre trial comparing psychoanalytic (PAT) and cognitive-behavioural (CBT) long-term treatments with randomized and preferred allocations analysing symptom (N = 227) and structural change (N = 134) trajectories. METHOD: Self- and blinded expert ratings of depression symptoms were performed at yearly intervals using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (QIDS-C). Blinded expert ratings of Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis (OPD) and the Heidelberg Restructuring Scale (HRS) at baseline, 1, 3, and 5 years assessed structural change in a subsample. RESULTS: Lasting and comparable symptom changes were achieved by PAT and CBT. However, compared to CBT, PAT was more successful in restructuring, a major goal of long-term psychodynamic treatments with high frequency and duration. LIMITATIONS: Due to practical reasons, the time criterion for chronic depression of an acute phase had to be defined for over 1 year in the present study, which does not correspond to the DSM-5 criterion of 2 years. Therapy duration and session frequency were not incorporated into the statistical models. CONCLUSION: Long-term psychotherapy helps patients with a yearlong history of depression and often multiple unsuccessful treatment attempts to achieve lasting symptom changes. Future follow-up will clarify whether restructuring promotes further sustainable improvements.

[Evidence-based inpatient psychotherapy of bipolar disorders]. / Evidenzbasierte stationäre Psychotherapie bipolarer Störungen.

BACKGROUND: Although psychotherapy is an important pillar in the treatment of bipolar disorders, alongside pharmacotherapy, non-drug and complementary procedures, there is no up to date evidence synthesis for inpatient psychotherapeutic treatment and work with caregivers. OBJECTIVE: To review and evaluate the current study situation on evidence-based inpatient psychotherapy for bipolar disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 1.Summary of the evidence for inpatient psychotherapy in adolescents and adults with bipolar disorders from current review articles and guidelines (German S3 guidelines, Australian, Canadian, and British NICE guidelines). 2. Systematic literature search (PRISMA) in Cochrane trials and Medline (via PubMed). 2a. Identification of original articles using the following search term: "bipolar fft" OR "bipolar ipsrt" OR "bipolar cbt" OR "bipolar cognitive remediation" OR "bipolar psychotherapy inpatient". 2b. Screening of n = 942 publications on the following inclusion criteria: randomized controlled efficacy trials, inpatient treatment/recruitment in the inpatient setting, adolescent or adult patients with bipolar disorder or caregivers. RESULTS: The guidelines recommend a combination of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy for the treatment of patients with bipolar disorders (so far no evidence-based presentation of inpatient psychotherapy). The results from reviews and original papers are heterogeneous. Recently described evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches for inpatient treatment are family focused therapy (FFT), interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) and psychoeducation. CONCLUSION: Although the current evidence is heterogeneous and further systematic studies are necessary, the results indicate that psychotherapy should be started or initiated in the inpatient setting with inclusion of caregivers.

A structured group intervention (TüTASS) with focus on self-perception and mindfulness for children with autism spectrum disorder, ASD. A pilot study.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represent a set of long-lasting severe neurodevelopmental conditions and effective therapeutic interventions are needed. Recent research points to the importance of including mindfulness-based elements to improve emotion and body perception in the psychotherapy of patients with ASD. Therefore, we developed a structured group psychotherapy program The Tübinger Training for Autism Spectrum Disorders (Tübinger Training für Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen; TüTASS) which focuses on mindfulness-based training elements. This pilot study accompanying the TüTASS reports the first results on the feasibility of the program with a pre-post comparison of 25 treated children with ASD. The psychometric assessment comprised five standardized questionnaires/ scales evaluating on the basis of parents and patients self-reports the child's social responsiveness, behavior, strengths and difficulties, quality of life, and depressive symptoms before and after training completion. The results indicated that upon training completion, symptoms with respect to emotional and social problems, externalizing behavior, and attentional and schizoid-compulsive behavior substantially declined. In a questionnaire assessing feasibility and quality of the group training, patients and parents found the therapy highly beneficial, especially as to the focus on emotions and body, and strengths and failures. This training program was developed to bridge the gap of lacking mindfulness-based interventions with the aim to optimize the course of ASD, especially with respect to behavioral disturbances and social-emotional problems.

Zinc as an adjunct to antidepressant medication: a meta-analysis with subgroup analysis for different levels of treatment response to antidepressants.

RESULTS: We performed random effects meta-analysis We computed a weighted effect size (Hedges' g) for the difference of the absolute scores of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale between the group given zinc and the group given placebo after 6 and after 12 weeks. We performed subgroup analysis according to whether not it was stated in the original studies that patients in a clinical trial or subgroup within a trial had not reached remission with previous treatment with a standard antidepressant during the same illness episode. After 6 weeks, we obtained the following effect sizes: Overall effect size: Hedges' g = -0.67, p = 0.03. Subgroup with documented non-remission: Hedges' g = - 0.97, p = 0.001. Group without documented non-remission -0.35, p = 0.24. After 12 weeks: Overall effect size: Hedges' g = -1.0, p = 0.03. Subgroup with documented non-remission: Hedges' g = - 1.46, p < 0.001. Group without documented non-remission: Hedges' g = - 0.54, p = 0.07. CONCLUSIONS: We provide preliminary evidence for the efficacy of zinc vs. placebo as an adjunct to antidepressant medication.

Transdiagnostic efficacy of a group exercise intervention for outpatients with heterogenous psychiatric disorders: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Exercise efficaciously reduces disorder-specific symptoms of psychiatric disorders. The current study aimed to examine the efficacy of a group exercise intervention on global symptom severity and disorder-specific symptoms among a mixed outpatient sample. METHODS: Groups of inactive outpatients, waiting for psychotherapy, with depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, insomnia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders were randomized to a manualized 12-week exercise intervention, combining moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise with techniques for sustainable exercise behaviour change (n = 38, female = 71.1% (n = 27), Mage = 36.66), or a passive control group (n = 36, female = 75.0% (n = 27), Mage = 34.33). Primary outcomes were global symptom severity and disorder-specific symptoms, measured with the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index pre- and post-treatment. Secondary outcome was the self-reported amount of exercise (Physical Activity, Exercise, and Sport Questionnaire), measured pre-treatment, intermediate-, and post-treatment. Intention-to-treat analyses were conducted using linear mixed models. Linear regressions were conducted to examine the effect of the change of exercise behaviour on the change of symptoms. RESULTS: The intervention significantly improved global symptom severity (d = 0.77, p = .007), depression (d = 0.68, p = .015), anxiety (d = 0.87, p = .002), sleep quality (d = 0.88, p = .001), and increased the amount of exercise (d = 0.82, p < .001), compared to the control group. Post-treatment differences between groups were significant for depression (d = 0.63, p = .031), sleep quality (d = 0.61, p = .035) and the amount of exercise (d = 1.45, p < .001). Across both groups, the reduction of global symptom severity was significantly predicted by an increase of exercise (b = .35, p = .012). CONCLUSIONS: The exercise intervention showed transdiagnostic efficacy among a heterogeneous clinical sample in a realistic outpatient setting and led to sustained exercise behaviour change. Exercise may serve as an efficacious and feasible transdiagnostic treatment option improving the existing treatment gap within outpatient mental health care settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT03542396 , 25/04/2018).

Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a Transdiagnostic group-based exercise intervention: study protocol for a pragmatic multi-site randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Mental disorders are prevalent and cause considerable burden of disease. Exercise has been shown to be efficacious to treat major depressive disorders, insomnia, panic disorder with and without agoraphobia and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: This pragmatic, two arm, multi-site randomised controlled trial will evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the manualized, group-based six-months exercise intervention "ImPuls", among physically inactive patients with major depressive disorders, insomnia, panic disorder, agoraphobia and PTSD within a naturalistic outpatient context in Germany. A minimum of 375 eligible outpatients from 10 different study sites will be block-randomized to either ImPuls in addition to treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU only. ImPuls will be conducted by trained exercise therapists and delivered in groups of six patients. The program will combine (a) moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise carried out two-three times a week for at least 30 min with (b) behavior change techniques for sustained exercise behavior change. All outcomes will be assessed pre-treatment, post-treatment (six months after randomization) and at follow-up (12 months after randomization). Primary outcome will be self-reported global symptom severity assessed with the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18). Secondary outcomes will be accelerometry-based moderate to vigorous physical activity, self-reported exercise, disorder-specific symptoms, quality-adjusted life years (QALY) and healthcare costs. Intention-to-treat analyses will be conducted using mixed models. Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis will be conducted using incremental cost-effectiveness and cost-utility ratios. DISCUSSION: Despite its promising therapeutic effects, exercise programs are currently not provided within the outpatient mental health care system in Germany. This trial will inform service providers and policy makers about the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the group-based exercise intervention ImPuls within a naturalistic outpatient health care setting. Group-based exercise interventions might provide an option to close the treatment gap within outpatient mental health care settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (ID: DRKS00024152 , 05/02/2021).

Sense of coherence in long-term follow-up of adolescents with anorexia nervosa.

BACKGROUND: Sense of coherence (SOC) is a personal resource that allows people to stay healthy in spite of stressful situations. SOC is known to be low in eating disorders. We explored whether SOC correlated with anorexia nervosa (AN) symptoms several years after initial hospitalization for AN, to inform us whether AN treatment concepts could more specifically focus on increasing SOC. METHODS: Former patients were contacted 5-11 years after hospitalization for AN in a German integrative medicine hospital. Participants completed the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-2) and the SOC Questionnaire (SOC-13). Hospital records were reviewed. Correlations between EDI-2 subscales and SOC-13 were tested. A t-test was conducted to assess the difference between the SOC-13 and the norm. A median split was performed, dividing SOC scores into two groups and comparing these with EDI-2 subscales. RESULTS: Of 149 previously hospitalized female patients, 83 could be contacted and 68 agreed to participate (46%). 17.6% self-reported that they currently suffered from an eating disorder. The mean follow-up time was 7.2 years. All EDI-2 subscales correlated negatively with the SOC-13 score (p < .01). The mean SOC was significantly lower than the norm (p < .001). In the median split, the lower SOC group had significantly higher scores on all EDI-2 subscales. CONCLUSIONS: Amongst previously hospitalized AN patients, the SOC was lower than a normative sample and correlated with on-going eating disorder symptoms in long-term follow-up. Strengthening SOC as a personal resource should be incorporated as a specific goal in AN treatment and its impact on long-term outcomes evaluated.

Effects of alliance ruptures and repairs on outcomes.

This study explored whether treatment outcomes in a trial on the Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) vs. Supportive Psychotherapy (SP) for patients with early-onset chronic depression differ between alliance patterns.Session-to-session ratings of the therapeutic alliance (Helping Alliance Questionnaire (HAQ)) from 254 outpatients with chronic depression (CBASP: 134; SP: 120) who took part in a multicenter randomized controlled trial of CBASP vs. SP were used to categorize patients into three alliance pattern categories for the patients' and therapists' rating separately. Based on the reliable change in the HAQ from one session to the next categories were: no rupture, unrepaired rupture, rupture-repair. Depression severity (24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression) at post-treatment, at 12- and 24- months follow-up was the outcome.The alliance pattern categories for therapists and patients did not differ between CBASP and SP. Only the alliance patterns calculated for patients were associated with outcome: in the unrepaired rupture category, patients had higher HRSD-ratings across time points (p = 0.047).CBASP was not associated with more or fewer ruptures or repairs as compared to SP in the treatment of chronic depression. The study highlights the need to resolve ruptures to avoid poor outcomes.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00970437.

German version of the outcome expectations for exercise scale-2 : Psychometric properties in geriatric patients after hip or pelvic fractures with fear of falling.

OBJECTIVE: Physical exercise is associated with many health benefits. Especially for older adults it is challenging to achieve an appropriate adherence to exercise programs. The outcome expectations for exercise scale 2 (OEE-2) is a 13-item self-report questionnaire to assess negative and positive exercise outcome expectations in older adults. The aim of this study was to translate the OEE­2 into German and to assess the psychometric properties of this version. METHODS: The OEE­2 was translated from English into German including a forward and backward translation process. Psychometric properties were assessed in 115 patients with hip/pelvic fractures (76% female, mean age 82.5 years) and fear of falling during geriatric inpatient rehabilitation. RESULTS: Principal component analyses could confirm a two-factor solution (positive/negative OEE) that explained 58% of the total variance, with an overall internal reliability of α = 0.89. Cronbach's α for the 9­item positive OEE subscale was 0.89, for the 4­item negative OEE subscale 0.79. The two subscales were correlated with rs = 0.49. Correlations of the OEE total score were highest with the perceived ability to manage falls, prefracture leisure time activities and prior training history (rs = 0.35-0.41). CONCLUSION: These results revealed good internal reliability and construct validity of the German version of the OEE­2. The instrument is valid for measuring physical exercise outcome expectations in older, German-speaking patients with hip or pelvic fractures and fear of falling.

Effects of an intervention to reduce fear of falling and increase physical activity during hip and pelvic fracture rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: fear of falling and reduced fall-related self-efficacy are frequent consequences of falls and associated with poorer rehabilitation outcomes. To address these psychological consequences, geriatric inpatient rehabilitation was augmented with a cognitive behavioural intervention ("Step by Step") and evaluated in a RCT. METHODS: one hundred fifteen hip and pelvic fracture patients (age = 82.5 years, 70% female) admitted to geriatric inpatient rehabilitation were randomly allocated to the intervention or control group. The intervention consisted of eight additional individual sessions during inpatient rehabilitation, one home visit and four telephone calls delivered over 2 months after discharge. Both groups received geriatric inpatient rehabilitation. Primary outcomes were fall-related self-efficacy (short falls efficacy scale-international) and physical activity as measured by daily walking duration (activPAL3™ sensor) after admission to rehabilitation, before discharge and 1-month post-intervention. RESULTS: in covariance analyses, patients in the intervention group showed a significant improvement in fall-related self-efficacy (P = 0.025, d = -0.42), but no difference in total daily walking duration (P = 0.688, d = 0.07) 1-month post-intervention compared to the control condition. Further significant effects in favour of the intervention group were found in the secondary outcomes "perceived ability to manage falls" (P = 0.031, d = 0.41), "physical performance" (short physical performance battery) (P = 0.002, d = 0.58) and a lower "number of falls" (P = 0.029, d = -0.45). CONCLUSIONS: the intervention improved psychological and physical performance measures but did not increase daily walking duration. For the inpatient part of the intervention further research on the required minimum intensity needed to be effective is of interest. Duration and components used to improve physical activity after discharge should be reconsidered.

Identifying change-dropout patterns during an Internet-based intervention for depression by applying the Muthen-Roy model.

To date, only few studies have attempted to investigate non-ignorable dropout during Internet-based interventions by applying an NMAR model, which includes missing data indicators in its equations. Here, the Muthen-Roy model was used to investigate change and dropout patterns in a sample of patients with mild-to-moderate depression symptoms (N = 483) who were randomized to a 12-week Internet-based intervention (deprexis, identifier: NCT01636752). Participants completed the PHQ-9 biweekly during the treatment. We identified four change-dropout patterns: Participants showing high impairment, improvement and low dropout probability (C3, N = 134) had the highest rate of reliable change at 6- and 12-month follow-up. A further pattern was characterized by high impairment, deterioration and high dropout probability (C2, N = 32), another by low impairment, improvement and high dropout probability (C1, N = 198). The last pattern was characterized by high impairment, no change and low dropout probability (C4, N = 119). In addition to deterioration, also rapid improvement may lead to dropout as a result of a perceived "good enough" dosage of treatment. This knowledge may strengthen sensitivity for the mechanisms of dropout and help to consider its meaning in efforts to optimize treatment selection.

Comparing Effectiveness of HRV-Biofeedback and Mindfulness for Workplace Stress Reduction: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Psychophysiological disorders due to work-related stress continue to be highly costly for health systems and approaches for cost-effective and easily accessible interventions are much needed. Both heart rate variability-biofeedback (HRV-Bfb) and mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have been empirically shown to reduce stress. This study compares these two interventions in the work context to a wait-list-control-group (WLC). In this three-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT), 69 healthy adults employed in the same organization were randomized to participate in HRV-Bfb, MBI or the WLC. Participants were assessed for psychophysiological parameters of stress (stress perception, coping, HRV parameters and cortisol) and stress related symptoms (depressive symptoms, psychological wellbeing, mindfulness and self-compassion). Participants trained using either HRV-Bfb or MBI for 6 weeks on a daily basis. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, after the intervention and at follow-up 12 weeks later. Results did not show any statistically significant differences between HRV-Bfb and MBI groups, and neither of the intervention groups (IGs) differed from the WLC. Findings suggest an overall reduction in stress for all groups, including the WLC, with mostly small to medium effect sizes. However, it is important to note that participants with higher baseline stress levels might benefit more from mindfulness and biofeedback-based stress reduction interventions. The results have to be interpreted with caution due to the relatively small sample size. MBI might have a slightly stronger effect on stress reduction in comparison to HRV-Bfb, as suggested by the effect sizes. This study highlights issues and challenges of the implementation of such interventions in corporate health management.

Adverse events during a disorder-specific psychotherapy compared to a nonspecific psychotherapy in patients with chronic depression.

OBJECTIVES: A recent trial comparing Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) and supportive psychotherapy in chronic depression found CBASP to be more effective in treating depressive symptoms. We aimed to evaluate adverse events that occurred during this trial. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A randomized trial of chronically depressed outpatients was performed. The treatment included 32 sessions of CBASP or supportive psychotherapy. Therapists asked patients about adverse events and their intensity in each session using a standardized checklist. We analyzed the mean number of (severe) adverse events per patient up to Session 32 with gamma frailty recurrent event models. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty patients were included in the analyses (66% female, mean age 45 years). Patients in the supportive psychotherapy group reported less severe adverse events in general, and less severe adverse events related to personal life and to occupational life than patients in the CBASP group. Less adverse events related to suicidal thoughts were reported in the CBASP compared with the supportive psychotherapy group. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the adverse events profile may be explained by the treatment elements. Adverse events related to personal and occupational life for example might be considered a necessary and expected yet temporary adverse treatment outcome of an effective CBASP treatment.

Does frontal brain activity mediate the effect of depression prevention in adolescents? A pilot study.

We investigated whether (a) depression prevention was associated with depressive symptoms and medial-frontal alpha asymmetry in adolescents; (b) alpha asymmetry mediated the association between participation in a prevention program and depressive symptoms; and (c) gender affects these associations. In our randomised control group study, we compared a universal prevention program (n = 40 adolescents, 14 females) with a non-intervention control condition (n = 39 adolescents, 20 females) in German secondary school students (mean age: 13.53 years, SD = 0.53). We collected data at baseline, post-intervention, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up using the Self-Rating Questionnaire for Depressive Disorders (SBB-DES) and resting medial-frontal alpha activity on F3 and F4. We found that girls benefitted from participating in the prevention program in regards to their depressive symptoms at 12-month follow-up but not alpha asymmetry. In boys, participation in the prevention program was associated with their alpha asymmetry at 6-month follow-up but not their depressive symptoms. Alpha asymmetry did not mediate the effects of the prevention program on depressive symptoms in either gender. Although participation in the prevention program was associated with both depressive symptoms and alpha asymmetry, those associations seem independent from each other. Possible explanations for this result pattern are discussed.

Two-Year Follow-Up after Treatment with the Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy versus Supportive Psychotherapy for Early-Onset Chronic Depression.

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the long-term efficacy of psychotherapeutic approaches for chronic depression is scarce. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of the Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) compared to Supportive Psychotherapy (SP) 1 year and 2 years after treatment termination. METHODS: In this study, we present 1- and 2-year follow-up assessments of a prospective, multicenter, evaluator-blinded, randomized clinical trial of outpatients with early-onset chronic major depression (n = 268). The initial treatment included 32 sessions of CBASP or SP over 48 weeks. The primary outcome was the rate of "well weeks" (Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Evaluation; no/minimal symptoms) after 1 year and 2 years. The secondary outcomes were, among others, clinician- and self-rated depressive symptoms, response/remission rates, and quality of life. RESULTS: Of the 268 randomized patients, 207 (77%) participated in the follow-up. In the intention-to-treat analysis, there was no statistically significant difference between CBASP and SP patients in experiencing well weeks (CBASP: mean [SD] of 48.6 [36.9] weeks; SP: 39.0 [34.8]; rate ratio 1.26, 95% CI 0.99-1.59, p = 0.057, d = 0.18) and in remission rates (CBASP: 1 year 40%, 2 years 40.2%; SP: 1 year 28.9%, 2 years 33%) in the 2 years after treatment. Statistically significant effects were found in favor of CBASP 1 year after treatment termination regarding the rate of well weeks, self-rated depressive symptoms, and depression-related quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: CBASP lost its superiority over SP at some point between the first and the second year. This suggests the necessity of maintenance treatment for early-onset chronically depressed patients remitted with CBASP during the acute therapy phase, as well as the sequential integration of other treatment strategies, including medication for those who did not reach remission.