This study uses a randomized controlled trial to compare two types of guided imagery. One intervention is an active intervention; the other is intended to be inert. These interventions were developed based on extensive research indicating the efficacy of using imagery in depression, and a perceived lack of treatments targeting biased self-referential processing.
This protocol aims to develop a novel intervention which can be used on its own or as an adjunct to existing treatments. Common treatments for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) are diffuse; this paradigm instead aims to specifically target negative self-schema, a part of the cognitive model of MDD. This study focuses on participants with elevated depressive symptoms.
