Symposia
Cognitive Science/ Cognitive Processes
Laurel D. Sarfan, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Garret Zieve, M.A.
Graduate Student
University of California, Berkeley
Oakland, California
Nicole B. Gumport, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Stanford University
Stanford, California
Mo Xiong, PhD
Post-Baccalaureate in Psychology
University of California, Berkeley
Arcadia, California
Allison G. Harvey, Ph.D.
Professor
University of California, Berkeley
BERKELEY, California
Poor memory for treatment is associated with worse patient outcomes. The Memory Support Intervention (MSI) was designed to improve outcomes by increasing patient memory for treatment and consists of eight memory support strategies that therapists integrate into treatment-as-usual. Evidence suggests that a subset of four strategies from the MSI, termed constructive memory support strategies, are the most effective at promoting patient memory for treatment. Constructive memory support strategies involve patients generating new ideas and connections about treatment contents that go beyond what has been explicitly presented by the therapist, as opposed to passively absorbing information or restating what has been previously discussed. With a view towards future versions of the MSI that may only include the constructive memory support strategies, we aimed to identify the dose of constructive strategies needed per session to (1) optimize treatment outcomes (i.e., depression symptoms and global impairment), (2) engage treatment mechanisms (i.e., patient adherence throughout treatment, utilization of treatment skills, and competency in treatment skills), and (3) maximize patient recall for treatment. The present study is a secondary data analysis of a parent randomized controlled trial comparing Cognitive Therapy as usual versus Cognitive Therapy plus the MSI. Participants (N=178, mean age=37.9, 62.9% female, 60.1% white) were adults with major depressive disorder who were recruited from the community. The present analyses used assessments of depression symptoms, overall impairment, utilization of treatment skills, competency of treatment skills, and treatment recall collected immediately post-treatment (POST) as well as six months (6FU) and 12 months (12FU) after treatment. Patient adherence was rated by therapists during each session. Using Kaplan-Meier Survival Analyses, the optimal dose of constructive memory support strategies ranged from 5.00 to 7.80 instances per session across measures and timepoints. In other words, therapists would need to integrate eight instances of constructive memory support strategies per session to optimize treatment outcomes, mechanisms, and recall for up to a year after treatment. These findings offer a practical guideline to help busy therapists in real-world practice settings integrate constructive memory support strategies with evidence-based psychological treatments in such a way that maximizes long-term benefits for patients.