Positive imagery cognitive bias modification for symptoms of depression among university students in Pakistan: A pilot study
Depression is highly prevalent among university students in Pakistan, but treatment provision is inadequate. Computerized interventions may provide one means of overcoming treatment barriers. The present study piloted a computerized cognitive training paradigm involving repeated generation of positi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Experimental Psychopathology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2043808720918030 |
| _version_ | 1818978192565731328 |
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| author | Akhtar Bibi Jürgen Margraf Simon E. Blackwell |
| author_facet | Akhtar Bibi Jürgen Margraf Simon E. Blackwell |
| author_sort | Akhtar Bibi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Depression is highly prevalent among university students in Pakistan, but treatment provision is inadequate. Computerized interventions may provide one means of overcoming treatment barriers. The present study piloted a computerized cognitive training paradigm involving repeated generation of positive mental imagery, imagery cognitive bias modification (imagery CBM), as a potential brief intervention for symptoms of depression among university students in Pakistan. Fifty-five participants scoring above a questionnaire cutoff indicating at least mild levels of depression were randomly assigned to either imagery CBM or a sham training control condition (peripheral vision task [PVT]). Participants were instructed to complete one training session from home daily over the course of 1 week. Outcomes were measured at post-training and a subsequent 2-week follow-up and included measures of depression, anhedonia, and positive affect. Participants provided positive feedback about the imagery CBM intervention but encountered practical problems with the study schedule, resulting in high rates of attrition, particularly at follow-up. Further, internal consistency of outcome measures was often low, and the PVT did not appear to be an adequate control condition in this study. However, overall the results suggest that with appropriate adaptations to the study methods formal investigation of efficacy is warranted. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T16:39:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8148715c95884beeaea6d3a6514dc352 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2043-8087 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T16:39:44Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Experimental Psychopathology |
| spelling | doaj.art-8148715c95884beeaea6d3a6514dc3522022-12-21T19:33:04ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Experimental Psychopathology2043-80872020-04-011110.1177/2043808720918030Positive imagery cognitive bias modification for symptoms of depression among university students in Pakistan: A pilot studyAkhtar BibiJürgen MargrafSimon E. BlackwellDepression is highly prevalent among university students in Pakistan, but treatment provision is inadequate. Computerized interventions may provide one means of overcoming treatment barriers. The present study piloted a computerized cognitive training paradigm involving repeated generation of positive mental imagery, imagery cognitive bias modification (imagery CBM), as a potential brief intervention for symptoms of depression among university students in Pakistan. Fifty-five participants scoring above a questionnaire cutoff indicating at least mild levels of depression were randomly assigned to either imagery CBM or a sham training control condition (peripheral vision task [PVT]). Participants were instructed to complete one training session from home daily over the course of 1 week. Outcomes were measured at post-training and a subsequent 2-week follow-up and included measures of depression, anhedonia, and positive affect. Participants provided positive feedback about the imagery CBM intervention but encountered practical problems with the study schedule, resulting in high rates of attrition, particularly at follow-up. Further, internal consistency of outcome measures was often low, and the PVT did not appear to be an adequate control condition in this study. However, overall the results suggest that with appropriate adaptations to the study methods formal investigation of efficacy is warranted.https://doi.org/10.1177/2043808720918030 |
| spellingShingle | Akhtar Bibi Jürgen Margraf Simon E. Blackwell Positive imagery cognitive bias modification for symptoms of depression among university students in Pakistan: A pilot study Journal of Experimental Psychopathology |
| title | Positive imagery cognitive bias modification for symptoms of depression among university students in Pakistan: A pilot study |
| title_full | Positive imagery cognitive bias modification for symptoms of depression among university students in Pakistan: A pilot study |
| title_fullStr | Positive imagery cognitive bias modification for symptoms of depression among university students in Pakistan: A pilot study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Positive imagery cognitive bias modification for symptoms of depression among university students in Pakistan: A pilot study |
| title_short | Positive imagery cognitive bias modification for symptoms of depression among university students in Pakistan: A pilot study |
| title_sort | positive imagery cognitive bias modification for symptoms of depression among university students in pakistan a pilot study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/2043808720918030 |
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