Resolving Early Life Stress: Psychotherapy Outcomes and Neurobiology in Complex Depression
St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
50 participants
Oct 25, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The RESPOND trial explores the link between early life adversity and later life depressive symptoms. The investigators have designed a new psychological therapy tailored to address the symptoms that can be caused by difficult experiences in early life. These symptoms include low mood, emotional dysregulation, and distressing thoughts and beliefs related to difficult or traumatic experiences. The investigators would like to see if this new therapy helps people feel better. The investigators are also studying the biological changes that can occur as a result of early life adversity, and how this therapy may influence those changes. To do this, the investigators ask questions about participants' physical and mental health and take blood samples.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria3
- Adults 18 years old or older
- At or above 18 on HAM-D, indicative of moderate-severe depressive symptoms
- Any childhood (before 18 years old) adversity as indicated by scores on the CECA q and ACES q
Exclusion Criteria5
- Individuals who meet for PTSD diagnosis from a criterion A trauma occurring in adulthood without a history of ELA
- Individuals experiencing active mania or psychosis
- Individuals with an active substance use disorder
- Individuals presenting with active suicide risk (plan, intention, means) indicative of a need for higher level care
- Individuals in current psychotherapeutic treatment (defined as having engaged in consistent psychotherapy within the last 3 months)
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Interventions
Session 1 - Psychoeducation: Introductions + information about adversity and depression Session 2 - Behavioural Activation: Identify activation targets, create Daily Activities Schedule Session 3 - Identifying Emotions: Describe + label emotions; cycle of emotions Session 4 - Distress Tolerance: STOP + TIP skills Session 5 - Distress Tolerance: Self-soothing + improving the moment Session 6 - Stuck Points: Stuck points + impact statements Session 7 - Self-blame Beliefs: Negative self schemas; alternative thoughts worksheet Session 8 - Safety + Trust: Schemas of emotional safety and trust about self and others Session 9 - Power + Control: Stuck points related to scope of influence over events + the world Session 10 - Esteem: Reconstruct ideas of self; engaging positively with others Session 11 - Intimacy: Develop self- and other intimacy behaviours Session 12 - Wrap-up: Review new impact statements; revisit behavioural chang
Locations(1)
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NCT07250893