Sara Van Autreve

The prevention and treatment of complicated grief: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Bereaved individuals are at increased risk of mental and physical disorders, and prevention and treatment of complicated grief is indicated. Earlier quantitative reviews have not focused on the effect of bereavement interventions on (complicated) grief. Therefore the main objective of this meta-analysis was to determine the short-term and long-term effect of both preventive and treatment interventions on complicated grief. METHODS Randomized controlled trials for prevention or treatment of complicated grief were identified through a systematic literature search. Electronic databases and reference lists of earlier review articles served as data sources. Data were analyzed with REVMAN 5.0.14. RESULTS Fourteen randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Study quality differed among the trials. Contrary to preventive interventions, treatment interventions yielded significant pooled standardized mean differences in favor of the (specific) grief intervention at post-test and follow-up. During the follow-up period, the positive effect of treatment interventions for complicated grief even increased. CONCLUSIONS Treatment interventions can effectively diminish complicated grief symptoms. Preventive interventions, on the other hand, do not appear to be effective. Limitations of the meta-analysis and future research options are discussed.

Accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation treatment in medication-resistant major depression: A fast road to remission?

Although accelerated repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) paradigms and intermittent Theta-burst Stimulation (iTBS) may have the potency to result in superior clinical outcomes in Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD), accelerated iTBS treatment has not yet been studied. In this registered randomized double-blind sham-controlled crossover study, spread over four successive days, 50 TRD patients received 20 iTBS sessions applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The accelerated iTBS treatment procedure was found to be safe and resulted in immediate statistically significant decreases in depressive symptoms regardless of order/type of stimulation (real/sham). While only 28% of the patients showed a 50% reduction of their initial Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score at the end of the two-week procedure, this response rate increased to 38% when assessed two weeks after the end of the sham-controlled iTBS protocol, indicating delayed clinical effects. Importantly, 30% of the responders were considered in clinical remission. We found no demographic predictors for response. Our findings indicate that only four days of accelerated iTBS treatment applied to the left DLPFC in TRD may lead to meaningful clinical responses within two weeks post stimulation.

Do restrictive and bingeing/purging subtypes of anorexia nervosa differ on central coherence and set shifting?

OBJECTIVE Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been associated with weak central coherence (CC) and weak set shifting (SS). The main aim of this study was to examine possible differences between restrictive AN (AN-R) and bingeing/purging AN (AN-BP) on these features. METHODS A total of 31 patients with AN-R, 20 patients with AN-BP and 26 healthy controls (HC) completed five neuropsychological tests (Block Design, Object Assembly, an adapted task-switching paradigm, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Trail Making Test). RESULTS Using Block Design and Object Assembly, indicative for CC, AN-R patients performed significantly worse than AN-BP patients and HC, without any difference between AN-BP and HC. On SS measures, no group differences were observed. DISCUSSION The results suggest that cognitive profiles of AN-R and AN-BP patients differ significantly on CC and not on SS. Our current findings support the idea that the two subtypes of AN have a distinctive underlying nature and might need a different approach in cognitive remediation.

A CBT-Based Psychoeducational Intervention for Suicide Survivors

BACKGROUND Bereavement following suicide is associated with an increased vulnerability for depression, complicated grief, suicidal ideation, and suicide. There is, however, a paucity of studies of the effects of interventions in suicide survivors. AIMS This study therefore examined the effects of a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based psychoeducational intervention on depression, complicated grief, and suicide risk factors in suicide survivors. METHOD In total, 83 suicide survivors were randomized to the intervention or the control condition in a cluster randomized controlled trial. Primary outcome measures included maladaptive grief reactions, depression, suicidal ideation, and hopelessness. Secondary outcome measures included grief-related cognitions and coping styles. RESULTS There was no significant effect of the intervention on the outcome measures. However, the intensity of symptoms of grief, depressive symptoms, and passive coping styles decreased significantly in the intervention group but not in the control group. CONCLUSION The CBT-based psychoeducational intervention has no significant effect on the development of complicated grief reactions, depression, and suicide risk factors among suicide survivors. The intervention may, however, serve as supportive counseling for suicide survivors.

A comparative follow-up study of aftercare and compliance of suicide attempters following standardized psychosocial assessment

This comparative longitudinal study investigated aftercare and compliance of attempted suicide patients after standardized psychosocial assessment. Structured interviews were conducted 1 month (FU1) and 6 months (FU2) after an index suicide attempt. Assessment was associated with more frequent discussion of treatment options with the patient at the hospital and a shorter interval between discharge and contacting the general practitioner (GP). A near significant effect was found for discussing the suicide attempt with the GP more frequently and with start or change of the medication scheme after the index attempt. The current findings support the use of a standardized tool for the assessment of suicide attempters and are in line with the chain of care model for suicide attempters.

Accelerated Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation for Suicide Risk in Therapy-Resistant Depressed Patients: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial

Objectives: We aimed to examine the effects and safety of accelerated intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) on suicide risk in a group of treatment-resistant unipolar depressed patients, using an extensive suicide assessment scale. Methods: In 50 therapy-resistant, antidepressant-free depressed patients, an intensive protocol of accelerated iTBS was applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in a randomized, sham-controlled crossover design. Patients received 20 iTBS sessions over 4 days. Suicide risk was assessed using the Beck Scale of Suicide ideation (BSI). Results: The iTBS protocol was safe and well tolerated. We observed a significant decrease of the BSI score over time, unrelated to active or sham stimulation and unrelated to depression-response. No worsening of suicidal ideation was observed. The effects of accelerated iTBS on mood and depression severity are reported in Duprat et al. (2016). The decrease in suicide risk lasted up to 1 month after baseline, even in depression non-responders. Conclusions: This accelerated iTBS protocol was safe. The observed significant decrease in suicide risk was unrelated to active or sham stimulation and unrelated to depression response. Further sham-controlled research in suicidal depressed patients is necessary. (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01832805).

Are there differences in central coherence and set shifting across the subtypes of anorexia nervosa?: a systematic review

Abstract Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been associated with weaknesses in central coherence and set shifting. In this line, it has been proposed to directly address these neuropsychological features in treatment (e.g., cognitive remediation therapy). It is not clear, however, whether the 2 subtypes of AN, the restricting (AN-R) and bingeing/purging (AN-BP) type, have the same amount of problems in these domains. A systematic search of the literature was conducted, using the databases Web of Science and PubMed, looking for studies on the comparison of AN-R and AN-BP in performing central coherence/set-shifting tasks. Notably, very few authors describe the results of a direct comparison of the performance of patients with AN-R and AN-BP. In summary, the available indications for possible group differences are not strong enough to draw definitive conclusions.

Informatieverwerking bij anorexia nervosa: is ze verstoord?

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a major health problem with an unfavourable prognosis. More than half of AN patients struggle with chronic problems, desspite treatment. The identification of endophenotypes, such as information processing biases, may contribute to a better understanding of the disease and to the development of a tailor-made treatment. AN is found to be associated with a cognitive style characterised by a reduced mental flexibility, a weak central coherence and a selective attentional bias for disease relevant information. These deficits are found in AN and bulimia nervosa, as well as in recovered eating disorder patients and healthy relatives. The management of neuropsychological problems is not the primary focus of most current therapeutic approaches for AN. However, preliminary research findings suggest that purposeful cognitive training may influence the cognitive functioning in AN. In this article, results of neuropsychological research are summarised and implications for clinical practice discussed as well as preliminary findings about the effectiveness of cognitive remediation therapy.