NCT06655623

A Multiple Case Study of Schema Therapy for Difficult-to-treat Depression- DEPRE-ST*Case

A Multiple Case Study of Schema Therapy for Difficult-to-treat Depression - DEPRE-ST*Case

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 2 (actual)
• Sponsor: Region of Southern Denmark · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This clinical multiple case study seeks to expand the knowledge of how schema therapy could function as an intervention for difficult-to-treat depression. The study will explore in depth the course of a 30 session treatment with schema therapy conducted over approximately one year on three individual patients at two different psychiatric treatment sites. Together, the data from this study will inform about the feasibility of schema therapy for difficult-to-treat depression as well as form the base for recommendations in adapting schema therapy for this particular patient group.

Detailed description

The study is part of a larger randomized controlled study, the DEPRE-ST study (clinicaltrials.gov registration: NCT05833087)(Arendt et al., 2024). The study participants will also be part of the large trial, and will be recruited for the current case study when their randomization status is being revealed; i.e., they are randomized to schema therapy. In addition to the data collected in the DEPRE-ST trial, the patients will for each session self-report depression symptoms (before the session) and two different evaluations of the session (after the session). In addition, the patients' level of the schema therapy construct of 'Healthy Adult Mode' will be measured by self-report once monthly. And finally, the therapist will be interviewed at the end of the treatment course about important aspects of the content and outcome of the therapy. Video recordings of each session will provide detailed information about these aspects and the interventions used in therapy. The most important focus for the publication for this study will be to describe the trajectories of therapy for the participants, including content, effect, and subjective evaluations of therapists and participants. Also, the feasibility and adaptability of schema therapy for difficult-to-treat depression will be evaluated. Data from outcome measurements will be presented descriptively only. Interview and video data will be compared with the outcomes measurements to reveal important events and how they might be reflected in the replies to post-session evaluation questionnaires (Session Evaluation Questionnaire and Helpful Aspects of Therapy), and in the course of the participant's self-reported depression symptoms and Healthy Adult mode.

Conditions

• Depression
• Major Depressive Disorder
• Chronic Depression
• Treatment Resistant Depression

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Schema therapy	Schema therapy is a form of psychotherapy invented to address more complex clinical cases. It consists of elements from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as well as psychodynamic, emotion-focused and gestalt therapies, with a distinct focus on experiential interventions. A therapy manual was developed for use in this study.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-11-06
• Primary completion: 2026-02-20
• Completion: 2026-02-26
• First posted: 2024-10-23
• Last updated: 2026-04-17

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: Denmark