Disorders - Depressive Disorders
Pribis, P.
Walnuts contain a number of potentially neuroprotective compounds like vitamin E, folate, melatonin, several antioxidative polyphenols and significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. The present study sought to determine the effect of walnuts on mood in healthy volunteers. Sixty-four college students were randomly assigned to two treatment sequences in a crossover fashion: walnut-placebo or placebo-walnut. At baseline mood was assessed using Profiles of Mood States (POMS). Data was collected again after eight weeks of intervention. After six-weeks of washout, the intervention groups followed the diets in reverse order. Data was collected once more at the end of the eight-week intervention period. No significant changes in mood were observed in the analyses with both genders combined and in females. However, we have observed a significant medium effect size improvement in the Total Mood Disturbance score (-27.49%, p = 0.043, Cohen's d = 0.708) in males. In non-depressed healthy young males, walnuts seem to have the ability to improve mood.
Nutrients, 8(11) : 25
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative Interventions (CAM)
, Dietary advice, dietary change
Rasanen, P., Lappalainen, P., Muotka, J., Tolvanen, A., Lappalainen, R.
Stress, anxiety and depression are relatively common problems among university students. This study examined whether an online psychological intervention aiming at enhancing the wellbeing of university students could be an effective and practical alternative for meeting the needs of a university population. University students (= 68; 85% female; 19-32 years old) were randomly assigned to either a guided seven-week online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (iACT) intervention or a waiting list control condition (WLC). A between-groups pre-post (iACT vs WLC) design with 12-month follow-up for the iACT participants was conducted. The intervention participants were offered two face-to-face meetings, completed online exercises during a five-week period, and received personal weekly written feedback via the website from their randomly assigned, trained student coaches. Waitlist participants were offered the intervention program soon after the post measurements. Results in this small efficacy trial showed that the iACT participants had significantly higher gains in wellbeing (between group, d = 0.46), life satisfaction (= 0.65), and mindfulness skills (= 0.49). In addition, iACT participants' self-reported stress (= 0.54) and symptoms of depression (= 0.69) were significantly reduced compared to the participants in the control group. These benefits were maintained over a 12-month follow-up period (within iACT group, d = 0.65-0.69, for primary measures). The results suggest that an online-based, coach-guided ACT program with blended face-to-face and online sessions could be an effective and well-accepted alternative for enhancing the wellbeing of university students.
Behaviour Research & Therapy, 78 : 30-42
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
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Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions (any)
, Acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT)
, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Reiter, C., Wilz, G.
Depression in adolescence is a widespread problem and leads to extensive psychosocial impairments. For these reason, a resource diary has been developed as a four-week positive writing intervention. The aims of this intervention were to enhance well-being, to promote emotion regulation and resource realization, as well as to prevent symptoms of depression in adolescence. Seventy-seven students of 8th form were randomized either to a positive writing group (n = 38) or to a neutral writing group (n = 39). At the post-test, the positive writing group showed a lower dysphoric mood, fewer worries and less rumination in comparison with the neutral writing group. No effects on resource realization were detected. This study provides the first evidence of the beneficial effects of positive writing on indicators of well-being and depressive symptoms. In conclusion, the resource diary represents an economical intervention for preventing depression in adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract).
Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(1) : 99-108
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative Interventions (CAM)
, Creative expression: music, dance, drama, art
Richards, K., Marko-Holguin, M., Fogel, J., Anker, L., Ronayne, J., Van-Voorhees, B. W.
We developed and tested two primary care based approaches for the early identification and prevention of depressive disorders in adolescents. We conducted a randomized controlled trial originally intended to compare Brief Advice (BA) + Internet intervention with Motivational Interviewing (MI) + Internet intervention in primary care for adolescents experiencing persistent subthreshold depression (Project CATCH-IT). This is an exploratory longterm 2.5 year follow-up study of a phase II study comparing pre/post outcomes and potential moderators of outcomes. Participants (n = 44) in the entire cohort maintained from baseline and continued to reduce depressive symptoms and percentage of subsyndromal depression. Greater motivation for depression prevention and lower ratings of self-efficacy at baseline were associated with greater declines in depression symptoms. These results suggest adolescents can be followed-up after Internet studies and there may be evidence of sustained reductions in depressed mood. The CATCH-IT model offers the possibility of a long term effect, but these results are limited by the small sample size and pre-post design. A large scale randomized clinical trial of the intervention is currently in progress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
Journal of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies, 16(2) : 113-134
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions (any)
, Motivational interviewing, includes Motivational Enhancing Therapy, Other Psychological Interventions, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Palm, U., Segmiller, F. M., Epple, A. N., Freisleder, F. J., Koutsouleris, N., Schulte-Korne, G., Padberg, F.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation method that has shown promising results in various neuropsychiatric disorders in adults. This review addresses the therapeutic use of tDCS in children and adolescents including safety, ethical, and legal considerations. There are several studies addressing the dosage of tDCS in children and adolescents by computational modeling of electric fields in the pediatric brain. Results suggest halving the amperage used in adults to obtain the same peak electric fields, however, there are some studies reporting on the safe application of tDCS with standard adult parameters in children (2 mA; 20 - 30 min). There are several randomized placebo controlled trials suggesting beneficial effects of tDCS for the treatment of cerebral palsy. For dystonia there are mixed data. Some studies suggest efficacy of tDCS for the treatment of refractory epilepsy, and for the improvement of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism. Interestingly, there is a lack of data for the treatment of childhood and adolescent psychiatric disorders, i.e., childhood onset schizophrenia and affective disorders. Overall, tDCS seems to be safe in pediatric population. More studies are needed to confirm the preliminary encouraging results; however, ethical deliberation has to be weighed carefully for every single case.
Journal of Neural Transmission, : 1-16
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Depressive Disorders
- Type: Systematic reviews
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Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
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Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions (any)
, Other biological interventions
Pusceddu, M. M., Kelly, P., Stanton, C., Cryan, J. F., Dinan, T. G.
Objective: The impact of lifetime dietary habits and their role in physical, mental, and social well-being has been the focus of considerable recent research. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids as a dietary constituent have been under the spotlight for decades. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids constitute key regulating factors of neurotransmission, neurogenesis, and neuroinfalmmation and are thereby fundamental for development, functioning, and aging of the CNS. Of note is the fact that these processes are altered in various psychiatric disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, and Alzheimer's disease. Design: Relevant literature was identified through a search of MEDLINE via PubMed using the following words, "n-3 PUFAs," "EPA," and "DHA" in combination with "stress," "cognition," "ADHD," "anxiety," "depression," "bipolar disorder," "schizophrenia," and "Alzheimer." The principal focus was on the role of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids throughout the lifespan and their implication for psychopathologies. Recommendations for future investigation on the potential clinical value of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were examined. Results: The inconsistent and inconclusive results from randomized clinical trials limits the usage of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in clinical practice. However, a body of literature demonstrates an inverse correlation between omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels and quality of life/psychiatric diseases. Specifically, older healthy adults showing low habitual intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids benefit most from consuming them, showing improved age-related cognitive decline. Conclusions: Although further studies are required, there is an exciting and growing body of research suggesting that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may have a potential clinical value in the prevention and treatment of psychopathologies. Copyright © The Author 2016.
International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 19(12) :
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Depressive Disorders
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Universal prevention
, At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
, Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative Interventions (CAM)
, Fish oil (Omega-3 fatty acids)
, Omega 3 fatty acids (e.g. fish oil, flax oil)
Tomyn, J. D., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Richardson, B., Colla, L.
The present study proposes and demonstrates a comprehensive framework for evaluation of a universal school-based depression prevention program. Efficacy was evaluated by considering the impact of continuous versus categorical approaches to operationalizing outcome, the effect of the intervention on key change agent variables, and moderation of intervention effects by student symptom severity at baseline. Participants 252 adolescent boys and girls (60 % male), aged 13 to 17 years (M=13.62 years, SD=0.60 years) from four schools in the state of Victoria, Australia, who were allocated by school into a waitlist=control (n=88) or a CBT-based intervention (n=164) group. The intervention involved six 45-min weekly sessions run during wellbeing classes. While the intervention and control groups did not differ in average improvement in symptoms by post-intervention, further analyses showed that responsiveness was highly variable within the intervention, and those with elevated depressive symptoms benefitted most. The proposed change agents of self-esteem, resilience, body image satisfaction, and perceived social support did not uniquely predict change in depressive symptoms but collectively accounted for substantial variance in this change process. Collectively, this framework provided insights into aspects of the intervention that worked and highlighted areas for improvement, thus providing clear direction for future research.
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 44(8) : 1621-1633
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Depressive Disorders
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions (any)
, Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT)
Walsh, E., Eisenlohr-Moul, T., Baer, R.
Objective: Pro-inflammatory cytokines have been implicated in the pathophysiology and maintenance of depression. This study investigated the effects of a brief mindfulness intervention on salivary pro-inflammatory correlates of depression (IL-6, TNF-α) and self-reported symptoms of depression in college women. Methods: Sixty-four females with a cut score of ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies for Depression Scale (CES-D) were assigned to a 4-week mindfulness-based intervention (MBI; N = 31) or a contact-control group (N = 33). For both groups, salivary cytokines and depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and posttreatment. For the mindfulness group only, salivary cytokines were also assessed at a 3-month follow-up. Results: Both groups showed similar reductions in depression. However, MBI (vs. control) predicted greater reductions in IL-6 and TNF-α; changes in IL-6 were sustained at 3-month follow-up. Higher baseline depressive symptoms predicted greater reductions in inflammation in the mindfulness group. Conclusion: MBIs may reduce inflammatory immune markers commonly implicated in depression. Individuals with greater depressive symptoms may benefit more from mindfulness training. Although reductions in salivary cytokines in the mindfulness condition were not attributable to changes in depressive symptoms, future work should examine the possibility that such reductions are protective against the development of future depressive episodes. (PsycINFO Database Record
Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, :
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Depressive Disorders
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions (any)
, Mindfulness based therapy
Stadterman, J., Freed, R. D., Ostrover, R., Gabbay, V.
Objectives: Youth-onset depression is common and accompanied by substantial impairment. Despite advances in pharmacological treatment, less than two-thirds of depressed youth show adequate response to antidepressants, underscoring the need for alternative treatments. One such option may be omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA) supplementation. Evidence from several lines of research suggests that O3FA may play a role in depression, and it is frequently taken as an over-the-counter form of treatment. However, only two clinical trials have tested the efficacy of O3FA in depressed youth, with mixed results. Our study aimed to examine the efficacy of O3FA in psychotropic medication-free adolescents with depression. Methods: In a 10-week double-blind study, 48 youth (ages 12-19 years), with moderate-severe MDD were assigned randomly to receive O3FA (n = 21) or placebo. The study was approved by the Institutional review board at New York University from where subjects were recruited. Diagnoses were made with the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, and MDD severity was captured by the Children's Depression Rating Scale (CDRSR) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Patients, seen weekly, started the trial on 1.2 g per day. Doses increased 0.6 g per day every two weeks if minimal to no reduction in depression severity was seen. Maximum daily dose was 3.6 g per day, and mean doses at week 10 were 3.1 and 3.2 g per day in placebo and treatment conditions, respectively. Outcome variables were pre- to posttreatment change in self-reported (BDI) and clinician-rated (CDRSR) depression scores. Results: In the total sample group, depression severity decreased over the 10 weeks, as measured by the CDRSR (P = 0.02) but not the BDI (P = 0.08). However, between-group analyses of posttreatment depression severity revealed no significant differences for both CDRSR (P = 0.69) and BDI (P = 0.65). Furthermore, in linear regression models, baseline-adjusted mean differences between treatment conditions were also not significant for CDRSR (P = 0.49) or BDI (P = 0.76). Conclusions: Compared with placebo, O3FA did not improve depression severity in our sample group of youth with MDD. Our findings are inconsistent with a couple of other studies, which may be explained by differences in sample group size, O3FA dose, or other moderators. Results support the need for further research into alternative treatments for MDD.
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 55 (10 Supplement 1) : S168-S169
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative Interventions (CAM)
, Fish oil (Omega-3 fatty acids)
, Omega 3 fatty acids (e.g. fish oil, flax oil)
Swartz, H. A., Cyranowski, J. M., Cheng, Y., Zuckoff, A., Brent, D. A., Markowitz, J. C., Martin, S., Amole, M. C., Ritchey, F., Frank, E.
Objective: Two-generation studies demonstrate that treating maternal depression benefits school-age children. Although mothers prefer psychotherapy to medication, little is known about how psychotherapy for maternal depression affects offspring, especially in very high-risk families in which both mothers and children concurrently meet syndromal criteria for psychiatric disorders. This trial evaluated the effects of 2 brief psychotherapies for maternal depression on very high-risk families. Method: Mothers with major depressive disorder were randomly assigned to 9 sessions of either brief interpersonal psychotherapy for mothers (IPT-MOMS; n = 85) or brief supportive psychotherapy (BSP; n = 83). Independent assessors evaluated mothers and their children, ages 7 to 18 years, diagnosed with at least 1 internalizing disorder, every 3 months over the course of 1 year. Results: Symptoms and functioning of mothers and children improved significantly over time, with no between-group differences. However, children of mothers assigned to BSP had more outpatient mental health visits and were more likely to receive antidepressant medication. Mothers reported greater satisfaction with IPT-MOMS than BSP. Improvement in mothers' depressive symptoms was associated with improvement in child functioning in time-lagged fashion, with children improving 3 to 6 months after mothers improved. Antidepressant medication use and number of mental health visits received by children did not affect outcomes. Conclusion: IPT-MOMS and BSP demonstrated comparable beneficial effects on maternal depression. Children's functioning improved following maternal improvement, independent of youths' treatment. Children of mothers randomized to IPT-MOMS, compared with BSP, achieved comparable outcomes despite less follow-up treatment. Observation of lagged association between maternal improvement and change in child functioning should influence treatment planning for families. . Clinical trial registration information-Psychotherapy for Depressed Mothers of Psychiatrically Ill Children; . http://clinicaltrials.gov/; . NCT00919594.
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, :
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Other service delivery and improvement interventions
Tak, Y. R., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Gillham, J. E., Van-Zundert, R. M., Engels, R. C.
The longitudinal effectiveness of a universal, adolescent school-based depression prevention program Op Volle Kracht (OVK) was evaluated by means of a cluster randomized controlled trial with intervention and control condition (school as usual). OVK was based on the Penn Resiliency Program (PRP) (Gillham et al. Psychological Science, 6, 343-351, 1995). Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Child Depression Inventory (Kovacs 2001). In total, 1341 adolescents participated, Mage=13.91, SD=0.55, 47.3 % girls, 83.1 % Dutch ethnicity; intervention group n=655, four schools; control group n=735, five schools. Intent-to-treat analyses revealed that OVK did not prevent depressive symptoms, beta= -0.01, SE=0.05, p=.829, Cohen's d=0.02, and the prevalence of an elevated level of depressive symptoms was not different between groups at 1 year follow-up, OR=1.00, 95 % CI=0.60-1.65, p=.992, NNT=188. Latent Growth Curve Modeling over the 2 year follow-up period showed that OVK did not predict differences in depressive symptoms immediately following intervention, intercept: beta=0.02, p=.642, or changes in depressive symptoms, slope: beta= -0.01, p=.919. No moderation by gender or baseline depressive symptoms was found. To conclude, OVK was not effective in preventing depressive symptoms across the 2 year follow-up. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 44(5) : 949-61
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions (any)
, Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT)
, Skills training
Takagaki, K., Okamoto, Y., Jinnin, R., Mori, A., Nishiyama, Y., Yamamura, T., Yokoyama, S., Shiota, S., Miyake, Y., Ogata, A., Kunisato, Y., Shimoda, H., Kawakami, N., Furukawa, T. A., Yamawaki, S.
The main behavioral characteristic of subthreshold depression that is observed in adolescents is the low frequency of exposure to environmental rewards. Therefore, it was considered that a simple intervention conducted in short sessions, focusing on increasing access to positively reinforcing activities, would be efficacious in increasing the availability of rewards. We conduct a randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of such a behavioral activation program that was conducted weekly for 5 weeks in 60-min sessions. Late adolescent university students aged 18 - 19 years with subthreshold depression were randomly allocated to a treatment (n = 62) or a control group (n = 56). The primary outcome of the study was the Beck Depression Inventory-II score. Results indicated that late adolescent students in the treatment group showed significant improvements in their depressive symptoms (effect size −0.90, 95 % CI −1.28 to −0.51) compared to the control group. Students in the treatment group also showed significant improvements in self-reported rating of quality of life and in behavioral characteristics. It is concluded that this intervention had a large and significant effect despite being short and simple and that this low-intensity cognitive behavioral therapy program could be conducted in many different types of institutions. It is suggested that the long-term effects of the treatment program should be targeted for investigation in future studies.
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, : 1-12
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions (any)
, Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT)