Evolutionary cognitive therapy versus standard cognitive therapy for depression: a protocol for a blinded, randomized, superiority clinical trial

Background: Depression is estimated to become the leading cause of disease burden globally by 2030. Despite existing efficacious treatments (both medical and psychotherapeutic), a large proportion of patients do not respond to therapy. Recent insights from evolutionary psychology suggest that, in addition to targeting the proximal causes of depression (for example, targeting dysfunctional beliefs by cognitive behavioral therapy), the distal or evolutionary causes (for example, inclusive fitness) should also be addressed. A randomized superiority trial is conducted to develop and test an evolutionary-driven cognitive therapy protocol for depression, and to compare its efficacy against standard cognitive therapy for depression. Methods/design: Romanian-speaking adults (18 years or older) with elevated Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores (\u3e13), current diagnosis of major depressive disorder or major depressive episode (MDD or MDE), and MDD with comorbid dysthymia, as evaluated by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID), are included in the study. Participants are randomized to one of two conditions: 1) evolutionary-driven cognitive therapy (ED-CT) or 2) cognitive therapy (CT). Both groups undergo 12 psychotherapy sessions, and data are collected at baseline, mid-treatment, post-treatment, and the 3-month follow-up. Primary outcomes are depressive symptomatology and a categorical diagnosis of depression post-treatment. Discussion: This randomized trial compares the newly proposed ED-CT with a classic CT protocol for depression. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to integrate insights from evolutionary theories of depression into the treatment of this condition in a controlled manner. This study can thus add substantially to the body of knowledge on validated treatments for depression

High-K Strategy Scale: A Measure of the High-K Independent Criterion of Fitness

The present study aimed at testing whether factors documented in the literature as being indicators of a high-K reproductive strategy have effects on fitness in extant humans. A 26-item High-K Strategy Scale comprising these factors was developed and tested on 250 respondents. Items tapping into health and attractiveness, upward mobility, social capital and risks consideration, were included in the scale. As expected, the scale showed a significant correlation with perceived offspring quality and a weak, but significant association with actual number of children. The scale had a high reliability coefficient (Cronbach's Alpha = .92). Expected correlations were found between the scale and number of medical diagnoses, education, perceived social support, and number of previous marriages, strengthening the scale's construct validity. Implications of the results are discussed

Is a Successful High-K Fitness Strategy Associated with Better Mental Health?

This study examined the associations between a high-K fitness strategy and mental health. These associations were tested on a sample of 1400 disaster workers who had exposure to a singular traumatic event and who underwent psychological evaluations. The results showed that high-K was an important negative predictor of psychopathology, accounting for significant variance in PTSD, general psychopathology, functional disability, anger, and sleep disturbances. Implications of the results are discussed

Cognitive evolutionary therapy for depression:a case study

We present an evolutionary-driven cognitive-behavioral intervention for a moderately depressed patient. Standard cognitive and behavioral therapy techniques focused on the patient's perfectionistic and self-downing beliefs, while novel, evolutionary-informed techniques were used to guide behavioral activation and conceptualize secondary emotional problems related to anger. The treatment reduced depressive symptomatology and increased evolutionary fitness.</p

Cognitive evolutionary therapy versus standard cognitive therapy for depression:A single-blinded randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of cognitive evolutionary therapy (CET) with cognitive therapy (CT) for depression.METHODS: Ninety-seven participants (78 females/19 males) were randomized to a single-blinded controlled trial (CET: n = 51 vs. CT: n = 46). Assessments were conducted at baseline, Sessions 4 and 8, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up. Clinical diagnoses were made with Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and self-reports for depression and secondary outcomes.RESULTS: Although both groups showed significant reductions in depressive symptomatology, the overall Time × Treatment group interaction in the intent to treat analysis was not significant (p = .770, posttreatment: d = 0.39). However, CET was superior to CT at increasing engagement in social and enjoyable activities (p = .040, posttreatment: d = 0.83, p = .040) and showed greater reductions than the CT group in behavioral inhibition/avoidance (p = .047, d = 0.62). The between-group differences generally diminished at the 3-month follow-up.CONCLUSIONS: CET is a novel therapy for depression that may add therapeutic benefits beyond those of CT.</p

Mental health literacy and academic performance (MHLAP) in high school students: a randomized clinical trial protocol

Abstract Background Mental health literacy is a promising avenue of intervention for addressing the development of psychopathology, as well as its associated consequences, such as a decrease in academic performance. The current study aims to test the effectiveness of such an intervention in high school students, focusing on two main formats of delivery: (1) automated and (2) blended. Methods To achieve this aim, a randomized clinical trial with direct comparisons at three time points between three conditions (automated, blended, and waitlist) was designed. Power analyses yielded a necessary sample size of 264 high school students. The participants will be selected from Romanian high schools. Discussion The current study aims to contribute to the mental health literacy literature by testing the effectiveness of an educational intervention concerning mental health in terms of its benefits for reducing psychopathology and increasing academic performance. The success of such an intervention bears important implications for addressing mental health in the educational system. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT06217744, version 1, 22 January 2024

Additional file 1: of Reducing depressive symptomatology with a smartphone app: study protocol for a randomized, placebo-controlled trial

SPIRIT 2013 Checklist: recommended items to address in a clinical trial protocol and related documents. (DOC 122 kb