Research

Our current research focusses on developing strategies to improve mental health care and psychotherapy outcomes. A significant challenge faced by many individuals with psychiatric disorders is the long waiting time for psychotherapy. Particularly, the gap during the transition from inpatient to outpatient care is associated with an increased risk of symptom exacerbation and suicidal ideations and behaviors (1,2). Moreover, existing treatment options, for instance, in the field of trauma-related disorders, are often limited. Pharmacological options are rare and less efficient than trauma-focused psychotherapy (3,4). However, dropout rates in trauma-focused psychotherapy are notable (5,6) and a significant group of patients experience insufficient symptom reduction (7,8). In our projects, we integrate cognitive-behavioral techniques aimed at enhancing self-efficacy beliefs into individuals’ daily lives, with the goal of improving psychological parameters such as anxiety, stress, and depression. One of our ongoing studies focuses on evaluating a digital self-efficacy training intervention as a means to bridge waiting times for therapy, aiming to reduce symptom amelioration during the waiting period and enhance therapy adherence and the therapeutic relationship in the subsequent therapy sessions. Additionally, we are investigating strategies to augment psychotherapeutic interventions, including targeted memory augmentation during sleep and substance (i.e., ketamine)-augmented trauma-focused therapy.

1. Forte A, Buscajoni A, Fiorillo A, Pompili M, Baldessarini RJ. Suicidal risk following hospital discharge: a review. Harvard review of psychiatry. 2019;27(4):209–16.
2. Large M, Sharma S, Cannon E, Ryan C, Nielssen O. Risk Factors for Suicide Within a Year of Discharge from Psychiatric Hospital: A Systematic Meta-Analysis. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2011 Aug;45(8):619–28.
3. Hoskins MD, Bridges J, Sinnerton R, Nakamura A, Underwood JFG, Slater A, et al. Pharmacological therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of monotherapy, augmentation and head-to-head approaches. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. 2021 Jan 1;12(1):1802920.
4. Merz J, Schwarzer G, Gerger H. Comparative efficacy and acceptability of pharmacological, psychotherapeutic, and combination treatments in adults with posttraumatic stress disorder: a network meta-analysis. JAMA psychiatry. 2019;76(9):904–13.
5. Edwards‐Stewart A, Smolenski DJ, Bush NE, Cyr B, Beech EH, Skopp NA, et al. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Dropout Among Military and Veteran Populations: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2021 Aug;34(4):808–18.
6. Lewis C, Roberts NP, Gibson S, Bisson JI. Dropout from psychological therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. 2020 Dec 31;11(1):1709709.
7. Barawi KS, Lewis C, Simon N, Bisson JI. A systematic review of factors associated with outcome of psychological treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. 2020 Dec 31;11(1):1774240.
8. Roberts NP, Lotzin A, Schäfer I. A systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological interventions for comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorder. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. 2022 Jul 29;13(1):2041831.