Rumination Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Major Depression and Recurrent Depression

Group based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment of depression, however, one third of patients do not respond satisfactorily (McDermut, Miller, \& Brown, 2001), and relapse rates around 30% have been reported from several studies (Butler, Chapman, Forman, \& Beck, 2006). The present study compares group based CBT with rumination focused CBT for depression with respect to outcome and relapse. Rumination has been evidenced as a crucial vulnerability to depression (Smith \& Alloy, 2009), predicting the onset, severity and duration of future depression (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2000). Depressed individuals show a negative bias in the perception of facial emotion, in the acute phase as well as in remission (Bouhuys, Geerts, \& Gordijn, 1999), and display difficulties in disengaging from negative stimuli (Koster, De Raedt, Goeleven, Franck, \& Crombez, 2005). In addition the present study investigate rumination and perceptual attention bias as potential key mechanisms underlying depression. 128 depressed patients will be recruited and randomised for group based CBT or group based rumination focused CBT. Patients are assessed subsequently during treatment and at 6 month follow-up regarding depression, rumination, worry, negative perceptual bias, attention control. Results are expected at spring 2016.