
Development of a Telephone-based Continuation Treatment for Patients With Chronic Depression.
Chronic Depressive DisorderThere is a high risk for relapse in people suffering from depression. Studies indicate that the continuation of an acute psychotherapeutic treatment can reduce the likelihood of relapse. Therefore, this pilot study is aimed to investigate the feasibility of a continuation psychotherapy over 6 months, to support people suffering from chronic forms of depression in their daily life. The investigated continuation therapy itself includes about one telephone call per month (therapist - patient), focussing on the integration of strategies into the patient's daily routine. The patients receive either 30 minutes or 50 minutes phone calls. On the one hand, these phone calls are supported by a workbook for patients containing psychoeducative elements, strategies and exercises. On the other hand, the therapist's work is based on a manual containing several modules and strategies. Both tools (workbook, manual) are understood as a framework, using the appropriate sections according to the patient's needs. As a result, the patients receive a continuation treatment which is appropriate and adapted to their individual situation. The main purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility of a telephone based psychotherapeutic continuation treatment with a small sample of 20 patients suffering from chronic depression. In case of promising results the effectiveness of this kind of treatment is going to be investigated within a comparative trial (including face-to-face intervention, no intervention).

Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral to Hypnotherapeutic Treatment of Depression
Major Depressive DisorderThe purpose of the study is to compare the efficacy of an Hypnotherapeutic Treatment of Depression to Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Depression in patients with mild to moderate Major Depressive Episodes.

Low Field Magnetic Stimulation (LFMS) in Subjects With Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)
DepressionDepressive Disorder4 moreThe purpose of this study is to compare the relative effectiveness of 20 and 60 minutes of Low-Field Magnetic Stimulation in relieving symptoms in patients with major depression who are treatment resistant.

Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES) Therapy
TBIAnxiety2 moreThe primary aim of this proposed study is to gather preliminary data for CES use in treating PTSD and anxiety symptoms in OEF/OIF Veterans with PTSD and a history of TBI.

Vitamin D Improves Depression in Liver Patients
DepressionChronic Liver DiseaseThis study evaluates the efficacy of vitamin D replacement therapy in reducing depressive symptoms in patients with chronic liver disease and vitamin D deficiency. Patients with normal vitamin D levels will be monitored as controls, and they will not receive any intervention.

CALM Phase 2b Pilot
DepressionManaging Cancer And Living Meaningfully (CALM) is a brief psychotherapy designed to alleviate distress in advanced cancer. In an earlier intervention-only pilot trial, CALM was associated with reductions in depressive symptoms and death anxiety and an increase in spiritual wellbeing. The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of a large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) of CALM and to identify preliminary effects in advanced cancer. This phase 2b pilot RCT employed intervention and usual care arms with 3 and 6 month follow-ups. The primary outcome was depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) and secondary outcomes included diagnosis of major depression (SCID), death anxiety, attachment security and spiritual wellbeing. Multilevel regression was used to compare change over time between groups. 60 patients with advanced cancer will be recruited from the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada, and equally randomized into intervention and usual care conditions.

Technology Assisted Cascade Training and Supervision of Community Health Workers for Thinking Healthy...
Maternal DepressionThe Thinking Healthy Program is evidence based psychological intervention, delivered by non-specialists, with proven impact on maternal depression. A major challenge in the scale-up of this intervention, especially where health systems are weak, is providing quality training and supervision at scale. Women living in post-conflict areas are at a higher risk of depression than the general population.The key innovation proposed is the development and evaluation of a technology-assisted cascade training and supervision system to assist scale-up of the Thinking Healthy Programme in a post conflict area of Pakistan.

Psychotherapy Plus: Combining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With tDCS
Major DepressionThe study will investigate whether cognitive behavioral psychotherapy (CBT) combined with prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is more efficacious with regard to symptom reduction in depressed patients than CBT combined with sham-tDCS or CBT alone.

Treating Depression and Anxiety in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Pathway
DepressionAnxiety1 moreCardiac rehabilitation (CR) services aim to improve heart disease patients' health and quality of life, and reduce the risk of further cardiac events. Depression and anxiety (distress) are common among CR patients: 37% of patents have significant anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. Distressed patients are at greater risk of death, further cardiac events and poorer quality of life than those without distress and they use more healthcare. Available drug and psychological treatments have only small effects on distress and quality of life, and no effects on physical health. Therefore, it is essential that more effective treatments for depression and anxiety are integrated into CR services. Extensive evidence shows that a particular style of thinking dominated by rumination (dwelling on the past) and worry maintains emotional distress. A psychological intervention (metacognitive therapy) that reduces this style of thinking alleviates depression and anxiety in mental health settings. The investigators aim to conduct a pilot trial of the group intervention and in work stream 2 the investigators will undertake a full-scale trial to evaluate whether adding the group intervention to standard CR is more effective at alleviating anxiety and depression than standard CR alone.

Rumination Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Major Depression and Recurrent Depression
DepressionRecurrent DepressionGroup based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment of depression, however, one third of patients do not respond satisfactorily (McDermut, Miller, & Brown, 2001), and relapse rates around 30% have been reported from several studies (Butler, Chapman, Forman, & Beck, 2006). The present study compares group based CBT with rumination focused CBT for depression with respect to outcome and relapse. Rumination has been evidenced as a crucial vulnerability to depression (Smith & Alloy, 2009), predicting the onset, severity and duration of future depression (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2000). Depressed individuals show a negative bias in the perception of facial emotion, in the acute phase as well as in remission (Bouhuys, Geerts, & Gordijn, 1999), and display difficulties in disengaging from negative stimuli (Koster, De Raedt, Goeleven, Franck, & Crombez, 2005). In addition the present study investigate rumination and perceptual attention bias as potential key mechanisms underlying depression. 128 depressed patients will be recruited and randomised for group based CBT or group based rumination focused CBT. Patients are assessed subsequently during treatment and at 6 month follow-up regarding depression, rumination, worry, negative perceptual bias, attention control. Results are expected at spring 2016.