Other questions addressed by research in the lab

• Do the findings from rigorously-conducted outcome studies generalize to clinical practice? Shannon Wiltsey Stirman (Ph.D., 2005) has conducted a series of empirical papers (see “Selected Publications” that suggest that they do.

• Can the acquisition of cognitive-therapy-relevant skills be detected in patients who have undergone cognitive therapy? Does greater acquisition of these skills predict a lower risk of relapse? Daniel Strunk’s (Ph.D., 2004) research provides affirmative answers to these questions (manuscript submitted for publication).

• What are the relative costs of effective treatments for depression, and how can their benefits be quantified so that rigorous and informative cost-benefit analyses can be conducted? Graduate student Ron Noble is developing a method that aims to assign value to changes in scores on a depression symptom severity measure.

• What is the relation of depressive symptoms to pessimistic, optimistic, and realistic thinking? Daniel Strunk’s research (manuscript submitted) suggests that, contrary to the “depressive realism” hypothesis, depressed people are unrealistically pessimistic. He also finds that those with very low levels of depressive symptoms are, to a small degree, overly optimistic. This leaves “realism” to those with mild levels of depressive symptoms.
  
• In a randomized comparative trial, are better outcomes achieved with patients who receive their preferred treatment? Graduate student Yan Leykin finds little if any evidence for this.

• What are the characteristics of patients who benefit more (or less) from antidepressant medications than they do from cognitive therapy? Current graduate students Carly Gibbons and Jay Fournier are addressing these questions with data from our comparative clinical trials.

• Does treatment for depression affect patients’ beliefs (theories) about the causes of their depression? Yan Leykin finds that belief in theories consistent with the treatment approach received remain stable while belief in other theories is reduced.