Personalia
Claudi Bockting, born in Silvolde, the Netherlands, in 1969. Ph.D. from University of Amsterdam. Professor of Clinical Psychology at Utrecht University.
Theme Group Coordinator (1 Feb – 30 June 2017)
My optimism wears heavy boots: So much research, so few implications, towards ‘patient-proof’ empirical models and more effective interventions in mental health
Research Question
How come effects of treatment for common mental health disorders (i.e. depression and related mental health disorders) do not improve and how can we change this?
Project Description
Even though psychological and pharmacological treatments are effective for most mental disorders, only half of treated patients experience a clinically meaningful reduction in symptoms or achieve full remission for these disabling conditions. The fact that a substantial proportion, does not or only partially, respond to existing treatments is highly problematic. Moreover, relapse rates are unacceptably high. Despite four decades of experimental and neuroscientific research as well as clinical intervention studies, effect sizes for treatment efficacy have not increased and novel treatment modalities are largely lacking. Six important factors contribute to these disappointing results that will be critically evaluated by the theme group. A wealth of experience in the group from different perspectives will facilitate to find solutions.
Selected Publications
Bockting, C. L. H., Williams, A.D., Carswell, K., Grech, A.E. (2016). The potential of low intensity and online interventions for depression in low and middle income countries. Global Mental Health, 3, 1-5. doi:10.1017/gmh.2016.21
Bockting C. L. H., Hollon, S. D., Kuyken, W., Jarrett. R., & Dobson, K. S. (2015). A lifetime approach to Major Depressive Disorder: The contributions of psychological interventions in preventing relapse and recurrence. Clinical Psychology Review, 41, 16-26. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.02.003
Hayes, A. M., Yasinski, C., Ben Barnes, J., & Bockting, C. L. H. (2015). Network destabilization and transition in depression: New methods for studying the dynamics of therapeutic change. Clinical Psychology Review, 41, 27-39. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.06.007