Intense and prolonged sadness is a defining feature of major depressive disorder (MDD). People with MDD often have difficulty changing their feelings of sadness or lessening the intensity of their emotions. Recalling positive memories can help people without depression to cope with sadness and improve their mood.  However, previous research …

Intolerance of uncertainty, also termed fear of the unknown, may be an important tool to address in therapy. The present study tested for diagnostic differences in two forms of intolerance of uncertainty and examined if changes in the forms of intolerance of uncertainty contribute to improved treatment outcomes. Participants were …

Many of us will experience feeling burdensome to others at some point in our lifetime. Individuals who perceive themselves as burdensome often feel that they fail to contribute to others (e.g., their family, society), and that the world would be better off if they were gone. Feeling burdensome is related …

It is widely known that our sleep affects our mood. This is particularly relevant as we grow older because the prevalence of insomnia increases substantially with older age. Exciting research indicates that treating insomnia with cognitive behaviour therapy can reduce depression. This raises an interesting therapeutic design question: Could a …

How can we help translate research findings into clinical practice? There is now a very large body of research available on the outcome of various treatment strategies. But to be readily useful for clinical application, the relative strengths and burdens of different clinical approaches need to be made readily apparent. …

Experiencing trauma is quite common in the general population; in fact, about 50% of the population will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime. Experiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a trauma is likewise very common; however, the persistence of these symptoms is less common, and only about …

Many people know that the intense and traumatic experiences soldiers face can result in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—as can civilian traumas, such as assaults or car crashes.  However, many people may not realize that caring for traumatically injured patients can have the same psychological effects as the trauma itself.  This …

Anxiety disorders are common conditions that can be treated effectively with exposure techniques, a key component of cognitive behavior therapy. Dissemination of this treatment is however limited by both patient and therapist factors. Among individuals with specific phobia, for example, only half will ever seek treatment and for those who …

It is estimated that nearly one in four women will experience sexual trauma during their military service. This experience can have profound and lasting consequences, with one of the most commonly reported being posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To help these women veterans, researchers have identified and studied effective treatments, with …

In North America, one in five individuals will suffer from depression at one point in their lives, and of those who do, less than 40% will seek treatment. In an effort to increase access to services, low-intensity interventions for depression, involving minimal cost and time-investment, have emerged. Two such interventions, …