G-FORCE: the effectiveness of group psychotherapy for Cluster-C personality disorders: protocol of a pragmatic RCT comparing psychodynamic and two forms of schema group therapy.

Background: Cluster-C personality disorders (PDs), characterized by a high level of fear and anxiety, are related to high levels of distress, societal dysfunctioning and chronicity of various mental health disorders. Evidence for the optimal treatment is extremely scarce. Nevertheless, the need to treat these patients is eminent.

Individual psychotherapy for cluster-C personality disorders: protocol of a pragmatic RCT comparing short-term psychodynamic supportive psychotherapy, affect phobia therapy and schema therapy (I-FORCE).

Background: Cluster-C personality disorders (PDs) are highly prevalent in clinical practice and are associated with unfavourable outcome and chronicity of all common mental health disorders (e.g. depression and anxiety disorders).

Which patients benefit from adding short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy to antidepressants in the treatment of depression? A systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data.

Background: Adding short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) to antidepressants increases treatment efficacy, but it is unclear which patients benefit specifically. This study examined efficacy moderators of combined treatment (STPP + antidepressants) antidepressants for adults with depression.

Methods: For this systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42017056029), we searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase.

Exploring the effect of group schema therapy and comorbidity on the treatment course of personality disorders.

Purpose Of Review: To provide an update of outcome studies of schema group therapy for personality disorders and the effect of comorbidity in order to explore whether schema group therapy might be effective for this patient group and what dosage is required.

Recent Findings: Studies of short-term schema group therapy for personality disorders with or without comorbidity show moderately effective results but the majority of patients fail to achieve full remission from global psychological symptom distress. Preliminary findings revealed that those unremitted patients might benefit from 40 to 60 sessions.

Psychological symptoms, early maladaptive schemas and schema modes: predictors of the outcome of group schema therapy in patients with personality disorders.

: This naturalistic study examined the outcomes of group schema therapy for patients with personality disorders (PD) and the effect of psychological symptoms, early maladaptive schemas (EMS) and schema modes on outcome. Assessments were made of 194 patients at baseline, during treatment, at treatment termination and at three-month follow-up. We used the Symptom Checklist-General Severity Index (SCL-GSI) to measure the remission-rate of global psychological distress and as a dependent variable in a multilevel model to conduct univariate and multiple variate analyses.

An old but still burning problem: Inter-rater reliability in clinical trials with antidepressant medication.

Background: Antidepressant trials are criticized due to potential methodological flaws. Root causes of failing methodology can be found in insufficient inter-rater reliability (IRR) and training practices, leading to higher placebo response and reduced study-power. However, it is unknown to what extent reliability estimates or training procedures are currently included in antidepressant reports.

The efficacy of adding short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy to antidepressants in the treatment of depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data.

Purpose: We examined the efficacy of adding short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) to antidepressants in the treatment of depression by means of a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data, which is currently considered the most reliable method for evidence synthesis.

Results: A thorough systematic literature search resulted in 7 studies comparing combined treatment of antidepressants and STPP versus antidepressant mono-therapy (n = 3) or versus antidepressants and brief supportive psychotherapy (n = 4). Individual participant data were obtained for all these studies and totaled 482 participants.

Exploration of symptom dimensions and duration of untreated psychosis within a staging model of schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Aim: Clinical staging of schizophrenia entails a new method that identifies clusters of symptoms and variation in level of remission, with the goal to create a framework for early intervention. Additionally, duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) may influence symptom severity in the first episode of psychosis (FEP) and could necessitate refining of the staging model. However, consistent evidence concerning variation in symptom severity and DUP between stages is missing.

The influence of depressive symptoms on the effectiveness of a short-term group form of Schema Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for personality disorders: a naturalistic study.

Background: This naturalistic study examined the outcomes of Short-Term Schema Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in groups with personality disorders, and with high and low severity of depressive symptoms.

Methods: Assessments were made at baseline, at mid-treatment (week 10), at treatment termination (week 20) and at three-month follow-up (week 32) of 225 patients with personality disorders and high severity of depressive symptoms (PD-Hi) and patients with low severity of depressive symptoms (PD-Lo). The assessments focused on symptom (Symptom Checklist-90) and schema severity (Young Schema Questionnaire) and coping styles (Utrecht Coping List).

Dying Too Soon: Excess Mortality in Severe Mental Illness.

We aimed to identify baseline predictors of mortality in patients with a severe mental illness (SMI) over a 6-year period and to describe mortality rates as standardised mortality ratios (SMRs). We hypothesised that cardiovascular diseases, older age, cigarette smoking, more severe psychiatric symptoms and more severe psychotropic side effects, and alcohol or drug use were independent risk factors for mortality. Medical examinations were conducted at baseline in a cohort of 322 SMI patients.

Integrated treatment for patients with comorbid depression and personality disorders.

Purpose Of Review: To provide an update on the epidemiology and the clinical consequences of depression complicated by comorbid personality disorders, and to discuss optimal treatment options.

Recent Findings: Studies have confirmed the frequent co-occurrence of depression and personality disorders. These comorbid states are consistently associated with unfavourable clinical indicators such as duration of episode, symptom severity and recurrence of depression, as well as a negative effect on treatment outcome.

A demonstration of a multi-method variable selection approach for treatment selection: Recommending cognitive-behavioral versus psychodynamic therapy for mild to moderate adult depression.

: We use a new variable selection procedure for treatment selection which generates treatment recommendations based on pre-treatment characteristics for adults with mild-to-moderate depression deciding between cognitive behavioral (CBT) versus psychodynamic therapy (PDT). : Data are drawn from a randomized comparison of CBT versus PDT for depression ( = 167, 71% female, mean-age = 39.6).

The Developmental Profile Inventory: Constructing a Clinically Useful Self-Report for Levels of Psychodynamic Personality Functioning.

Objective: The Developmental Profile Inventory (DPI) was constructed to assess psychodynamic personality functioning by self-report.

Method: On the basis of the frame of reference of the Development Profile interview method, a self-report was developed covering 3 domains, self, interpersonal functioning, and problem-solving strategies, which represent 6 maladaptive and 3 adaptive developmental levels of psychodynamic functioning. The DPI was administered to patients with personality disorders who were receiving psychotherapy (N=179) and to normal controls (N=228).

The association between the number of previous episodes and modifiable vulnerability factors in remitted patients with recurrent depression.

Objective: Remitted patients with a history of several previous major depressive episodes have a higher risk of relapse/recurrence than patients with fewer previous episodes, and the probability of another episode increases progressively with each successive episode. This study examines the association between the number of previous episodes and modifiable vulnerability factors in remitted patients with recurrent depression.

Methods: Patients with recurrent depression (DSM-IV-diagnosed) who were in remission (N = 214) were recruited between September 2011 and July 2016.

Optimizing psychotherapy dosage for comorbid depression and personality disorders (PsyDos): a pragmatic randomized factorial trial using schema therapy and short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Background: Patients with comorbid depression and personality disorders suffer from a heavy disease burden while tailored treatment options are limited, accounting for a high psychological and economic burden. Little is known about the effect of treatment dosage and type of psychotherapy for this specific co-morbid patient population, in terms of treatment-effect and cost-effectiveness. This study aims to compare treatment outcome of 25 versus 50 individual therapy sessions in a year.

Exploring construct validity of clinical staging in schizophrenia spectrum disorders in an acute psychiatric ward.

Objective: clinical staging and profiling of schizophrenia spectrum disorders has been proposed to describe and define the heterogenous course of disease. We examined the construct validity of clinical staging in schizophrenia spectrum disorders by measuring differences in distribution and severity of relevant clinical profilers and therapeutic improvement (HoNOS) across clinical stages.

Methods: we performed a prospective cross-sectional study with 258 inpatiënts who met DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia spectrum disorders, recruited in an acute ward of a psychiatric hospital from 1-1-2015 until 31-12-2016.