2013/01/01 by Matthias Berking, David Daniel Ebert, Pim Cuijpers +1 · 3 citations
Psychology · #Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development #Digital Mental Health Interventions #Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
paper · doi:10.1159/000348448
openalex publication_date 2013/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/02
BACKGROUND: Deficits in emotion regulation skills are possible factors maintaining major depressive disorder (MDD). Therefore, the aim of the study was to test whether integrating a systematic emotion regulation training (ERT) enhances the efficacy of routine inpatient cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for MDD. METHODS: In a prospective randomized controlled trial, 432 inpatients meeting criteria for MDD were assigned to receive either routine CBT or CBT enriched with an intense emotion regulation skills training (CBT-ERT). RESULTS: Participants in the CBT-ERT condition demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in depression (response rates - CBT: 75.5%, CBT-ERT: 84.9%; remission rates - CBT: 51.1%, CBT-ERT: 65.1%). Moreover, CBT-ERT participants demonstrated a significantly greater reduction of negative affect, as well as a greater increase of well-being and emotion regulation skills particularly relevant for mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating strategies that target emotion regulation skills improves the efficacy of CBT for MDD.