CURED: Cognitive Bias Modification Utilized to Rectify Errors for Depression
Overview
Interpretation bias, which refers to a negative interpretation of a situation when there is no evidence to do so, has
repeatedly been shown to be associated with depression.
While interpretation bias generally diminishes during
psychotherapy, limited resources point out the need for cost-effective, low-demand therapeutics that do not require
therapist involvement. Cognitive bias modification for interpretation (CBM-I) is a promising method in doing so, yet, even though it has been quite effective in anxiety disorders, the same level of effectiveness has not been observed for depression.
One of the reasons is proposed as the content of CBM-I being specific for anxiety, not for depression. This study tests the feasibility of a recently developed depression-focused CBM-I procedure, namely the CURED (Cognitive Modification Utilised to Rectify Errors for Depression). Specifically, the effectiveness of the CURED in reducing interpretation bias, negative imagery characteristics, negative self-related cognitions, depressive symptoms, and anxiety will be tested.
The study will first test the readability and negativity of the treatment items in a pilot trial as an a priori manipulation check (8 individuals with clinical experience, 8 individuals with lived experience of depression, N = 16). This will be followed with a 2 (Intervention / Control) x 4 (Measurement times) mixed design feasibility trial.
While main outcomes will be measured at four time points (baseline, post-treatment, and follow-up at one month and three
months after the last training session), some measures will also be delivered after each training session (6 measurements in total).
Additionally, a qualitative interview will be conducted with those who volunteer and participated in the intervention condition to learn the participant perspective about the intervention.
Are you interested in taking part in this study?
repeatedly been shown to be associated with depression.
While interpretation bias generally diminishes during
psychotherapy, limited resources point out the need for cost-effective, low-demand therapeutics that do not require
therapist involvement. Cognitive bias modification for interpretation (CBM-I) is a promising method in doing so, yet, even though it has been quite effective in anxiety disorders, the same level of effectiveness has not been observed for depression.
One of the reasons is proposed as the content of CBM-I being specific for anxiety, not for depression. This study tests the feasibility of a recently developed depression-focused CBM-I procedure, namely the CURED (Cognitive Modification Utilised to Rectify Errors for Depression). Specifically, the effectiveness of the CURED in reducing interpretation bias, negative imagery characteristics, negative self-related cognitions, depressive symptoms, and anxiety will be tested.
The study will first test the readability and negativity of the treatment items in a pilot trial as an a priori manipulation check (8 individuals with clinical experience, 8 individuals with lived experience of depression, N = 16). This will be followed with a 2 (Intervention / Control) x 4 (Measurement times) mixed design feasibility trial.
While main outcomes will be measured at four time points (baseline, post-treatment, and follow-up at one month and three
months after the last training session), some measures will also be delivered after each training session (6 measurements in total).
Additionally, a qualitative interview will be conducted with those who volunteer and participated in the intervention condition to learn the participant perspective about the intervention.
Are you interested in taking part in this study?
Planned end date
07 Jan 2026 11:26Conditions
DepressionInclusion Criteria
The sample of the study will consist of adults who meet the diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
Screening for eligibility will be constituted from two stages:
— The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) with a cut-off score of 15 as an inclusion criterion (14 and above is suggested as ‘’mild depression’’; Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996) will be administered by email.
— Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.; Sheehan et al., 1998) will be administrated by phone to confirm the clinical status (MDD).
The reason for two-staged eligibility assessment is the previous findings showing that the agreement between measurements and clinician’s evaluation of the clinical status of the patient, while adequate, still has some inconsistencies (Löwe et al., 2004; Williams, Noel, Cordes, Ramirez & Pignone, 2002). Further inclusion criteria will be:
— Being over 18 years of age.
Exclusion Criteria
The exclusion criteria will be:
1- Having a mental or physical condition that impedes the completion of the study tasks,
2- Having received psychotherapy within the last 2 months before participating in the study,
3- If having used, changes in medication within the last 2 months before participating in the study and changes in medication during the study (changing the dose, dropping the medication, or starting to a new type of medication),
4- Significant psychopathological comorbidity other than generalized anxiety disorder,
5- A previous head injury resulted in a loss of consciousness,
6- Reporting any suicidal thoughts in the eligibility screening,
7- Taking part in an interventional study aiming to improve mental health or cognitive functions during the time of participation.
8- Those who start psychiatric medication in the follow-up period will be excluded from further analyses.