Cited by 95Psychotherapy Techniques and ApplicationsAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesTreatment of Major Depression

A model for streamlining psychotherapy in the RDoC era: the example of ‘Engage’

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Alexopoulos, G S, Arean, P·2014·Molecular Psychiatry

Abstract

A critical task for psychotherapy research is to create treatments that can be used by community clinicians. Streamlining of psychotherapies is a necessary first step for this purpose. We suggest that neurobiological knowledge has reached the point of providing biologically meaningful behavioral targets, thus guiding the development of effective, simplified psychotherapies. This view is supported by the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Project, which reflects the field's consensus and recognizes the readiness of neurobiology to guide research in treatment development. 'Engage' is an example of such a streamlined therapy. It targets behavioral domains of late-life depression grounded on RDoC constructs using efficacious behavioral strategies selected for their simplicity. 'Reward exposure' targeting the behavioral expression of positive valence systems' dysfunction is the principal therapeutic vehicle of 'Engage'. Its first three sessions consist of direct 'reward exposure', but the therapists search for barriers in three behavioral domains, that is, 'negativity bias' (negative valence), 'apathy' (arousal) and 'emotional dysregulation' (cognitive control), and add strategies targeting these domains when needed. The end result is a structured, stepped approach using neurobiological constructs as targets and as a guide to personalization. We argue that the 'reduction' process needed in order to arrive to simplified effective therapies can be achieved in three steps: (1) identify RDoC constructs driving the syndrome's psychopathology; (2) create a structured intervention utilizing behavioral and ecosystem modification techniques targeting behaviors related to these constructs; (3) examine whether the efficacy of the new intervention is mediated by change in behaviors related to the targeted RDoC constructs.

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  • ENGAGE therapy has been the first attempt to streamline psychotherapy for LLD using neurobiological constructs.

    “ENGAGE therapy has been the first attempt to streamline psychotherapy for LLD using this approach170.”

    From Mechanisms and treatment of late-life depression (2019) · cites this paper as [170]

  • Engage aims to systematically address disengagement from participation in pleasurable activities in a structured approach by incorporating reward exposure and addressing barriers in 3 behavioral domains: negativity bias, apathy, and emotional dysregulation.

    “An example is the streamlined, evidence-based psychotherapeutic strategy called Engage [7], which aims to systematically address disengagement from participation in pleasurable activities in a structured approach by incorporating reward exposure and addressing barriers in 3 behavioral domains: negativity bias, apathy, and emotional dysregulation.”
  • Dysfunction of reward networks, especially in reward valuation, effort valuation, action selection, preference-based decision making, and reward learning, is a central process perpetuating depression.

    “Neurobiological findings suggest that dysfunction of reward networks (especially in reward valuation, effort valuation, action selection, preference-based decision making, and reward learning) is a central process perpetuating depression [7,8].”

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [83]Institute of Medicine Retooling for an aging America: Building the health care workforce 2008 National Academies Press Washington, DC 25009893

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Authors
Alexopoulos, G. S., & Arean, P.
Affiliations
Cornell University (US)
Corresponding author
Alexopoulos, G S
Venue
Molecular Psychiatry
Published
2013-11-26
Volume
19
Issue
1
Pages
14-19
ISSN
  • 1359-4184 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-5578
OpenAlex
W2092676606
Cited by
95
References
86
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 10
FWCI
1.03
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Molecular Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (MH075900, R01MH075897, P30MH085943, MH074717, R01MH075900, R01MH102304, MH077192, K24MH074717, R01MH102252, R24MH077192)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
Keywords
Research Domain Criteria, geriatric depression, negativity bias, apathy, emotional dysregulation, personalized treatment, behavior change, positive valence systems, negative valence, arousal, cognitive control, community clinicians
MeSH terms
Mental Disorders, Behavioral Symptoms, Humans, Models, Psychological, Psychotherapy, Biomedical Research

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