Cognitive-reminiscence therapy and usual care for depression in young adults: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundDepression is a common affliction for young adults, and is associated with a range of adverse outcomes. Cognitive-reminiscence therapy is a brief, structured intervention that has been shown to be highly effective for reducing depressive symptoms, yet to date has not been evaluated in young adult populations. Given its basis in theory-guided reminiscence-based therapy, and incorporation of effective therapeutic techniques drawn from cognitive therapy and problem-solving frameworks, it is hypothesized to be effective in treating depression in this age group.Methods and designThis article presents the design of a randomized controlled trial implemented in a community-based youth mental health service to compare cognitive-reminiscence therapy with usual care for the treatment of depressive symptoms in young adults. Participants in the cognitive-reminiscence group will receive six sessions of weekly, individual psychotherapy, whilst participants in the usual-care group will receive support from the youth mental health service according to usual procedures. A between-within repeated-measures design will be used to evaluate changes in self-reported outcome measures of depressive symptoms, psychological wellbeing and anxiety across baseline, three weeks into the intervention, post-intervention, one month post-intervention and three months post-intervention. Interviews will also be conducted with participants from the cognitive-reminiscence group to collect information about their experience receiving the intervention, and the process underlying any changes that occur.DiscussionThis study will determine whether a therapeutic approach to depression that has been shown to be effective in older adult populations is also effective for young adults. The expected outcome of this study is the validation of a brief, evidence-based, manualized treatment for young adults with depressive symptoms

Study of Novel Autoantibodies in Schizophrenia

We thank the patients and healthy volunteers for their support and participation. We also thank NHS Grampian for sample collection as well as Dr Mark Coulson from Inverness College, University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) and our colleagues at UHI Division of Health Research for their supportive work. This study was supported by the Schizophrenia Association of Great Britain, Bangor, UK. The authors declared that they had no conflict of interests.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The association between trichotillomania symptoms and emotion regulation difficulties: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Emotion regulation is postulated to play an important role in Trichotillomania (TTM). Whilst a growing number of studies have examined the relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and TTM symptoms, there have been no attempts to evaluate the overall strength of this association or the quality of the evidence base. Method: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesise findings from studies that have examined the relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and TTM symptoms, to inform future TTM treatment targets. We identified 17 studies that met inclusion criteria. From these studies, 32 correlation coefficients were extracted for meta-analysis. The Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Analytical Cross Sectional Studies was used to assess risk of bias amongst the included studies. Results: There was a moderately sized association between TTM symptoms and ER difficulties, (r adjusted = 0.32, 95 % CI [0.28, 0.37], t = 15.58 (df = 11.86), p < 0.0001) that was moderated by sample size (F(df1 = 1, df2 = 30) = 4.597, b = −0.0001, SE = 0.0001, 95 % CI [−0.0002; 0.0000], p = 0.040) and differences between types of emotion regulation measures (Q(df = 1) = 4.06, p = 0.044). Limitations: The data analysed was correlational, therefore causality was unable to be determined. Comorbidities were not able to be examined as a moderator. Conclusion: This study provided a preliminary integration of the evidence and demonstrated that individuals with higher levels of TTM severity appear to exhibit decreased overall emotion regulation abilities and strategies

Intervention for depression among palliative care patients and their families: A study protocol for evaluation of a training program for professional care staff

Background: Clinical depression is highly prevalent yet under-detected and under-treated in palliative care settings and is associated with a number of adverse medical and psychological outcomes for patients and their family members. This article presents a study protocol to evaluate a training intervention for non-physician palliative care staff to improve the recognition of depression and provide support for depressed patients and their family members. Details of the hypotheses and expected outcomes, study design, training program development and evaluation measures are described.Methods and Design: A randomised controlled trial will be implemented across two palliative care services to evaluate the &ldquo;Training program for professional carers to recognise and manage depression in palliative care settings&rdquo;. Pre-, post- and three-month follow-up data will be collected to assess: the impact of the training on the knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy and perceived barriers of palliative care staff when working with depression; referral rates for depression; and changes to staff practices. Quantitative and qualitative methods, in the form of self-report questionnaires and interviews with staff and family members, will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.Discussion: This study will determine the effectiveness of an intervention that aims to respond to the urgent need for innovative programs to target depression in the palliative care setting. The expected outcome of this study is the validation of an evidence-based training program to improve staff recognition and appropriate referrals for depression, as well as improve psychosocial support for depressed patients and their family members.<br /

Promoting fit bodies, healthy eating and physical activity among Indigenous Australian men: a study protocol

Background: Overall the physical health of Indigenous men is among the worst in Australia. Research has indicated that modifiable lifestyle factors, such as poor nutrition and physical inactivity, appear to contribute strongly to these poor health conditions. To effectively develop and implement strategies to improve the health of Australia&rsquo;s Indigenous peoples, a greater understanding is needed of how Indigenous men perceive health, and how they view and care for their bodies. Further, a more systematic understanding of how sociocultural factors affect their health attitudes and behaviours is needed. This article presents the study protocol of a communitybased investigation into the factors surrounding the health and body image of Indigenous Australian men.Methods and design: The study will be conducted in a collaborative manner with Indigenous Australian men using a participatory action research framework. Men will be recruited from three locations around Australia (metropolitan, regional, and rural) and interviewed to understand their experiences and perspectives on a number of issues related to health and health behaviour. The information that is collected will be analysed using modified grounded theory and thematic analysis. The results will then be used to develop and implement community events in each location to provide feedback on the findings to the community, promote health enhancing strategies, and determine future action and collaboration.Discussion: This study will explore both risk and protective factors that affect the health of Indigenous Australian men. This knowledge will be disseminated to the wider Indigenous community and can be used to inform future health promotion strategies. The expected outcome of this study is therefore an increased understanding of health and health change in Indigenous Australian men, the development of strategies that promote healthy eating and positive patterns of physical activity and, in the longer term, more effective and culturally-appropriate interventions to improve health.<br /

Reminiscence-based therapies for depression: should they be used only with older adults?

Reminiscence-based therapies have been reliably evidenced&nbsp;to be an effective intervention for depression.&nbsp;However, to date, their use has been restricted primarily&nbsp;to older adults. This article reviews empirical findings&nbsp;related to the various functions of reminiscence and&nbsp;their correlates with mental health. Reminiscence-based&nbsp;interventions and their effectiveness are then reviewed,&nbsp;with a particular focus on recent evaluations of structured&nbsp;reminiscence-based therapies that utilize preexisting&nbsp;therapeutic frameworks for the treatment for&nbsp;depression. The exclusive use of reminiscence-based&nbsp;therapies with older adult populations is then challenged,&nbsp;and it is argued that these approaches may be&nbsp;useful for reducing depression symptomatology for&nbsp;young and middle-aged adults also. Considerations for&nbsp;the use of reminiscence-based therapies in these populations&nbsp;are discussed, and future directions for research&nbsp;are presented

Development and validation of the awareness of narrative identity questionnaire (ANIQ)

The utility of a narrative approach to identity and its role in psychological functioning are becoming increasingly recognized across various fields of inquiry. The current study aimed to develop a quantitative, self-report measure of the awareness of narrative identity and how globally coherent one\u27s autobiographical memories are perceived to be, specifically, in terms of temporal ordering, causal associations, and the perception of unifying themes. The construct validity and reliability of the Awareness of Narrative Identity Questionnaire (ANIQ) were assessed across three studies. In the first study, exploratory factor analysis of the responses of a large sample (N = 441, M [age in years] = 33.1, SD = 15.2) to an initial item pool resulted in a 20-item four-factor structure congruent with the proposed subscales, and convergent and divergent validity were established. In the second study, and with a different sample (N = 320, M [age in years] = 26.2, SD = 4.0), further evidence for the factor structure was provided through confirmatory factor analysis. Validity findings from Study 1 were replicated and extended on, and test-retest reliabilities were found to be high (r = .72-.79). Importantly, in the third study (N = 71, M [age in years] = 24.9, SD = 6.9), criterion validity was established, whereby the ANIQ subscales were demonstrated to be associated with dimensions of narrative coherence coded from written turning-point narratives. Across all studies, the internal reliabilities for the subscales were high (&alpha; = .86-.96). The ANIQ represents a valid, psychometrically sound, and novel method of assessing the awareness of narrative identity and autobiographical memory coherence

Brief Reminiscence Activities Improve State Well-Being and Self-Concept in Young Adults: A Randomised Controlled Experiment

Reminiscence-based psychotherapies have been demonstrated to have robust effects on a range of therapeutic outcomes. However, little research has been conducted on the immediate effects of guided activities they are comprised of, or how these might differ dependent on the type of reminiscence. The current study utilised a controlled experimental design, whereby three-hundred and twenty-one young adults (mean age = 25.5 years, SD = 3.0) were randomised to one of four conditions of online reminiscence activity: problem-solving (successful coping experiences), identity (self-defining events contributing to a meaningful and continuous personal identity), bitterness revival (negative or adverse events), or a control condition (any memory from their past). Participants recalled autobiographical memories congruent with the condition, and answered questions to facilitate reflection on the memories. The results indicated that problem-solving and identity reminiscence activities caused significant improvements in self-esteem, meaning in life, self-efficacy and affect, whereas no effects were found in the bitterness revival and control conditions. Problem-solving reminiscence also caused a small effect in increasing perceptions of a life narrative/s. Differences between the conditions did not appear to be explained by the positive-valence of memories. These results provide evidence for the specific effects of adaptive types of problem-solving and identity reminiscence in young adults

Autobiographical memory-based intervention for depressive symptoms in young adults: A randomized controlled trial of cognitive-reminiscence therapy

Background: Autobiographical memory-based interventions have shown promise in the treatment of depression. This study is the first to examine the effects of one such therapy, cognitive-reminiscence therapy (CRT), for the treatment of depressive symptoms in young adults. Method: A total of 26 young adults (mean age = 20.8 years, SD = 1.9) presenting to a community youth mental health service for treatment of at least moderate depressive symptoms were randomized to receive either a six-week course of individual CRT or usual care (individual, brief evidence-based psychotherapy). Results: CRT had large effects on depressive symptoms at six-weeks (d = 1.59) and at a three month follow-up (d = 1.51). Effects were also found at six-weeks in the CRT group for variables suggested to play a mediating role: self-esteem, self-efficacy, meaning in life and optimism (d = .92 – 1.99), and at follow-up (d = .74 – 1.21). Effects were observed on anxiety symptoms at six-weeks (d = 1.78), but not maintained at follow-up. No within-group effects were observed in the usual care group, aside from optimism at six-weeks (d = 1.05), but not at three-months. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary findings that CRT is a feasible and promising approach to the alleviation of depression among young adults. However, larger trials are needed to test its effects more rigorously

Development and Validation of the Awareness of Narrative Identity Questionnaire (ANIQ)

This presentation will introduce the first quantitative, self-report measure of the awareness of narrative identity and how globally coherent one’s autobiographical memories are perceived to be, in terms of temporal ordering, causal associations, and the perception of unifying themes. The construct validity and reliability of the Awareness of Narrative Identity Questionnaire (ANIQ) were assessed across a series of studies. In the first study, exploratory factor analysis of an initial item pool resulted in a 20-item, four-factor structure congruent with the proposed subscales, and convergent and divergent validity were established. In the second study, and with a different sample, further evidence for the factor structure was provided through confirmatory factor analysis, validity findings were replicated and extended upon, and test-retest reliabilities were found to be high. Importantly, in the third study, criterion validity was established, whereby the ANIQ subscales were demonstrated to be associated with dimensions of narrative coherence coded from written turning-point narratives. Findings from subsequent studies assessing associations with time perspective, reminiscence functions, and other variables are also presented. The ANIQ represents a valid, psychometrically sound, and novel method of assessing the awareness of narrative identity and autobiographical memory coherence