Meta Science

Impact of generative AI oN Science and Society

Fundamentals of living guidelines and their principles based on our international summits, published in Nature, can be found here, and our article on priorities for research and society using using AI here.

Selected Publications

Bockting, C. L., van Dis, E. A. M., van Rooij, R., Zuidema, W., & Bollen, J. (2023). Living guidelines for generative AI — why scientists must oversee its use. Nature, 622, 693-696. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03266-1

van Dis, E. A. M., Bollen, J., Zuidema, W., van Rooij, R., & Bockting, C. L. (2023). ChatGPT: five priorities for research. Nature, 614(7947), 224–226. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00288-7

---

Relapse prevention in depression and anxiety

Ongoing Studies

STAYFINE-App: Relapse Prevention in Adolescents

More than one in five adolescents has to deal with anxiety or a depressive disorder before the age of 21. Even after recovery, the prevalence of relapse is especially high in this age group. To investigate whether it is possible to prevent relapse through ongoing monitoring and momentary app-based interventions, we are conducting a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of personalized combination of app-based interventions with guidance of loved experience experts. This project is conducted with funding from ZonMw. For further information, see www.stayfine.nl.

ITFRA Consortium

ITFRA (International TaskForce for RelApse prevention of depression and anxiety) is a research taskforce aiming to improve our understanding of the prevention of relapse in depression, harmonize outcome and moderator measurement, and advocate for improved outcomes for people who have experienced depression. The current projects are largely focused on individual participant data meta-analysis and meta-analyses aiming to identify what works for whom and evaluate treatment approaches such as the role of psychological interventions and antidepressants in preventing relapse or recurrence. For more information, see ITFRA.org.

MINDCOG: Understanding mechanisms of depression prevention

MINDCOG is a randomized cross-over trial to investigate mechanisms of mindfulness and positive fantasizing (ingredient of PCT) as intervention techniques for reducing perseverative cognition (PC) in remitted depressed individuals. The current study aims to 1) test whether momentary psychological and psychophysiological indices of PC are differentially affected by positive fantasizing versus mindfulness-based interventions, 2) test whether the mechanisms of change by which fantasizing and mindfulness affect PC differ between remitted Major Depressive Disorder versus never-depressed individuals, and 3) explore potential moderators of the main effects of the two interventions (i.e., what works for whom). For more information (in Dutch), see MINDCOG.

Selected Publications

Besten, M. E., van Vugt, M., Riese, H., Bockting, C. L., Ostafin, B. D., Aleman, A., & van Tol, M. J. (2024). Understanding mechanisms of depression prevention: Study protocol of a randomized cross-over trial to investigate mechanisms of mindfulness and positive fantasizing as intervention techniques for reducing perseverative cognition in remitted depressed individuals. BMC Psychiatry, 24(1), 141. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-05592-8

de Jonge, M., Blankers, M., Bockting, C. L., van Dijk, M. K., Kikkert, M. J., & Dekker, J. J. M. (2024). Economic evaluation of preventive cognitive therapy versus care as usual in cognitive behavioral therapy responders. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1134071

Breedvelt, J. J. F., Karyotaki, E., Warren, F. C., Brouwer, M. E., Jermann, F., Hollandare, F., Klein, N., de Jonge, M., Klein, D. N., Farb, N., Segal, Z., Biesheuvel Leliefeld, K. E. M., Jarrett, R., Vittengl, J., Thase, M., Ma, H., Kuyken, W., Shallcross, A. J., van Heeringen, C., … Bockting, C. L. (2024). An individual participant data meta-analysis of psychological interventions for preventing depression relapse. Nature Mental Health, 2(2), 154–163. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-023-00178-x

Böttcher, L., Breedvelt, J. J. F., Warren, F. C., Segal, Z., Kuyken, W., & Bockting, C. L. (2023). Identifying relapse predictors in individual participant data with decision trees. BMC Psychiatry, 23(1), 835. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-05214-9

Robberegt, S. J., Brouwer, M. E., Kooiman, B. E., Stikkelbroek, Y. A., Nauta, M. H., & Bockting, C. L. (2022). Meta-analysis: Relapse Prevention Strategies for Depression and Anxiety in Remitted Adolescents and Young Adults. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2022.04.014

Breedvelt, J., Brouwer, M. E., Harrer, M., Semkovska, M., Ebert, D. D., Cuijpers, P., & Bockting, C. L. (2021). Psychological interventions as an alternative and add-on to antidepressant medication to prevent depressive relapse: systematic review and meta-analysis. The British journal of psychiatry: the journal of mental science, 219(4), 538–545. doi: 10.1192/bjp.2020.198

Breedvelt, J., Warren, F. C., Segal, Z., Kuyken, W., & Bockting, C. L. (2021). Continuation of Antidepressants vs Sequential Psychological Interventions to Prevent Relapse in Depression: An Individual Participant Data Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry, 78(8), 868–875. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.0823

Bockting, C. L., Klein, N. S., Elgersma, H. J., van Rijsbergen, G. D., Slofstra, C., Ormel, J., . . . Burger, H. (2018). Effectiveness of preventive cognitive therapy while tapering antidepressants versus maintenance antidepressant treatment versus their combination in prevention of depressive relapse or recurrence (DRD study): A three-group, multicentre, randomised controlled trial. Lancet Psychiatry, 5(5), 401-410. doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(18)30100-7

Bockting, C. L., Hollon, S. D., Jarrett, R. B., Kuyken, W., & Dobson, K. (2015). A lifetime approach to major depressive disorder: The contributions of psychological interventions in preventing relapse and recurrence. Clinical Psychology Review, 41, 16-26. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.02.003

---

Multimodal interventions, personalization and technology-based interventions

Ongoing Studies

REPAIR Study

Rebuilding Parent young Adult Interpersonal Relationships (REPAIR) is a randomized controlled trial evaluating the cost-effectiveness of family therapy (attachment based family therapy) to target in adolescents and young adults in in Belgium and The Netherlands. This project is conducted with funding from Benefit (ZonMw and KCE). For more information, see repairstudy.com. 

HERSTEL Study

Patients partially remitted from depression are at increased risk of relapse. In the HERSTEL-study (eng. RECOVERY), we aim to further reduce depressive symptoms and the risk of relapse using multilevel interventions. To attain this goal, we compare the efficacy of Preventive Cognitive Therapy combined with a serious computer game intervention that targets cognitive functioning to Preventive Cognitive Therapy alone. This project is conducted with funding from the Hersenstichting. For further information, see www.herstelstudie.nl.

113.nl

In this project we conduct a randomized controlled trial comparing online CBT to online psycho-education that targets suicidality for individuals that seek help at 113.nl. In collaboration with 113 Zelfmoordpreventie (113.nl).

Virtual Reality

A new treatment has been developed for depression using Virtual Reality interventions to target anhedonia and behavioral activation in depression together with dr. Martine van Bennekom (GGZ Delfland; ggz-delfland.nl). A proof of concept study is ongoing, with a randomized momentary assessment design. For further information, see VRMentalHealth.nl.

Another related study concerns a micro momentary assessment randomized controlled trial evaluating the effect of Virtual Reality for psycho-education on self-stigma in depression (with GGZ Delfland). For an interview with PhD student Nancy Kramer on these projects, see kenniscentrum-kjp.nl.

Intervention Chatbot

Sustainable Technology for Adolescents and youth to Reduce Stress (STARS) is a WHO chatbot-intervention using an guided, interactive conversational agent to deliver self-help.

Selected Publications

Deisenhofer, A.-K., Barkham, M., Beierl, E. T., Schwartz, B., Aafjes-van Doorn, K., Beevers, C. G., Berwian, I. M., Blackwell, S. E., Bockting, C. L., Brakemeier, E.-L., … Cohen, Z. D. (2024). Implementing precision methods in personalizing psychological therapies: Barriers and possible ways forward. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 172, 104443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2023.104443

Reininghaus, U., Daemen, M., Postma, M. R., Schick, A., Hoes-van der Meulen, I., Volbragt, N., Nieman, D., Delespaul, P., de Haan, L., van der Pluijm, M., Breedvelt, J. J. F., … Bockting, C. L., & van Amelsvoort, T. (2023). Transdiagnostic Ecological Momentary Intervention for Improving Self-Esteem in Youth Exposed to Childhood Adversity: The SELFIE Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry, e234590. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.4590

Kooiman, B. E., Robberegt, S. J., Albers, C. J., Bockting, C. L., Stikkelbroek, Y. A., & Nauta, M. H. (2023). Congruency of multimodal data-driven personalization with shared decision-making for StayFine: individualized app-based relapse prevention for anxiety and depression in young people. Frontiers in psychiatry, 14, 1229713. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1229713

Gülpen, J., Brouwer, M. E., Geurtsen, G. J., van Dis, E. A. M., Denys, D. A. J. P., & Bockting, C. L. (2023). Treatments for partial remission of major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Mental Health, 26(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2023-300827

van der Wal, J. M., van Borkulo, C. D., Haslbeck, J. M. B., Slofstra, C., Klein, N. S., Blanken, T. F., Deserno, M. K., Lok, A., Nauta, M. H., & Bockting, C. L. (2023). Differential impact of preventive cognitive therapy while tapering antidepressants versus maintenance antidepressant treatment on affect fluctuations and individual affect networks and impact on relapse: A secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial. eClinicalMedicine, 66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102329

Schipper-Kramer Freher, N., Bexkens, A., van Bennekom, M., Veling, W., & Bockting, C. L. (2022). Virtual reality for psycho-education on self-stigma in depression: Design of a randomised controlled trial. Psychiatry Research Communications, 2(4), 100086. doi: 10.1016/j.psycom.2022.100086

Legemaat, A. M., Semkovska, M., Brouwer, M., Geurtsen, G. J., Burger, H., Denys, D., & Bockting, C. L. (2021). Effectiveness of cognitive remediation in depression: A meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 52(16), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291721001100

Fu, Z., Brouwer, M. E., Kennis, M., Williams, A., Cuijpers, P., Bockting, C. L. (2021). Psychological factors for the onset of depression: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMJ Open. 2021 11:e050129. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050129

van der Wal, J. M., Arjadi, R., Nauta, M. H., Burger, H., & Bockting, C. L. (2020). Guided internet interventions for depression: Impact of sociodemographic factors on treatment outcome in Indonesia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 103589. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2020.103589

Fu, Z., Burger, H., Arjadi, R., & Bockting, C. L. (2020). Effectiveness of digital psychological interventions for mental health problems in low-income and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry. 7(10), 851-864. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30256-X

Kennis, M., Gerritsen, L., van Dalen, M., Williams, A., Cuijpers, P., & Bockting, C. L. (2020). Prospective biomarkers of major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Molecular Psychiatry, 25(2), 321-338. doi:10.1038/s41380-019-0585-z

Arjadi, R., Nauta, M. H., Scholte, W. F., Hollon, S. D., Chowdhary, N., Suryani, A. O., . . . Bockting, C. L. (2018). Internet-based behavioural activation with lay counsellor support versus online minimal psychoeducation without support for treatment of depression: A randomised controlled trial in Indonesia. Lancet Psychiatry, 5(9), 707-716. doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(18)30223-2

Slofstra, C., Nauta, M. H., Bringmann, L. F., Klein, N. S., Albers, C. J., Batalas, N., . . . Bockting, C. L. (2018). Individual negative affective trajectories can be detected during different depressive relapse prevention strategies. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 87(4), 243-245. doi:10.1159/000489044

---

Complex systems and common mental health conditions

Ongoing Projects

Centre for Urban Mental Health: From complexity to action

For complexity projects with the Centre for Urban Mental Health, see the UMH website. For all complexity projects with the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), see ias.uva.nl.

Selected Publications

Scheffer, M., Bockting, C. L., Borsboom, D., Cools, R., Delecroix, C., Hartmann, J. A., Kendler, K. S., van de Leemput, I., van der Maas, H. L. J., van Nes, E., Mattson, M., McGorry, P. D., & Nelson, B. (2024). A Dynamical Systems View of Psychiatric Disorders—Practical Implications: A Review. JAMA Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.0228

Scheffer, M., Bockting, C. L., Borsboom, D., Cools, R., Delecroix, C., Hartmann, J. A., Kendler, K. S., van de Leemput, I., van der Maas, H. L. J., van Nes, E., Mattson, M., McGorry, P. D., & Nelson, B. (2024). A Dynamical Systems View of Psychiatric Disorders—Theory: A Review. JAMA Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.0215

Franzoi, D., Bockting, C. L., Bennett, K. F., Odom, A., Lucassen, P. J., Pathania, A., Lee, A., Brouwer, M. E., van de Schoot, R., Wiers, R. W., & Breedvelt, J. J. F. (2024). Which individual, social, and urban factors in early childhood predict psychopathology in later childhood, adolescence and young adulthood? A systematic review. SSM – Population Health, 25, 101575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101575

van der Wal, J. M., van Borkulo, C. D., Haslbeck, J. M. B., Slofstra, C., Klein, N. S., Blanken, T. F., Deserno, M. K., Lok, A., Nauta, M. H., & Bockting, C. L. (2023). Differential impact of preventive cognitive therapy while tapering antidepressants versus maintenance antidepressant treatment on affect fluctuations and individual affect networks and impact on relapse: A secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial. eClinicalMedicine, 66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102329

Bringmann, L. F., Albers, C., Bockting, C. L., Borsboom, D., Ceulemans, E., Cramer, A., Epskamp, S., Eronen, M. I., Hamaker, E., Kuppens, P., Lutz, W., McNally, R. J., Molenaar, P., Tio, P., Voelkle, M. C., & Wichers, M. (2022). Psychopathological networks: Theory, methods and practice. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 149, 104011. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2021.104011

van der Wal, J. M., van Borkulo, C. D., Deserno, M. K., Breedvelt, J. J. F., Lees, M., Lokman, J. C., Borsboom, D., Denys, D., van Holst, R. J., Smidt, M. P., Stronks, K., Lucassen, P. J., van Weert, J. C. M., Sloot, P. M. A., Bockting, C. L., & Wiers, R. W. (2021). Advancing urban mental health research: from complexity science to actionable targets for intervention. In Lancet Psychiatry (Vol. 8, Issue 11, pp. 991–1000). doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(21)00047-x

Brouwer, M. E., Molenaar, N. M., Burger, H., Williams, A. D., Albers, C., Lambregtse-van den Berg, M., & Bockting, C. L. (2020). Tapering antidepressants while receiving digital Preventive Cognitive Therapy during pregnancy: An experience sampling methodology trial. Frontiers in Psychiatry. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.574357

Holmes, E. A., Ghaderi, A., Harmer, C. J., Ramchandani, P. G., Cuijpers, P., Morrison, A. P., Roiser, J. P., Bockting, C. L., O’Connor, R. C., Shafran, R., Moulds, M. L., & Craske, M. G. (2018). The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on psychological treatments research in tomorrow’s science. The Lancet. Psychiatry, 5(3), 237–286. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30513-8

De Beurs, D., Bockting, C. L., Kerkhof, A., Scheepers, F., O’Connor, R., Penninx, B., & van de Leemput, I. (2020). A network perspective on suicidal behavior: Understanding suicidality as a complex system. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 0, 1-12. doi:10.1111/sltb.12676

Siegle, G. J., Cramer, A. O. J., van Eck, N. J., Spinhoven, P., Hollon, S. D., Ormel, J., . . . Bockting, C. L. (2019). Where are the breaks in translation from theory to clinical practice (and back) in addressing depression? An empirical graph-theoretic approach. Psychological Medicine, 49(16), 2681-2691. doi:10.1017/s003329171800363x

Hayes, A. M., Yasinski, C., Ben Barnes, J., & Bockting, C. L. (2015). Network destabilization and transition in depression: New methods for studying the dynamics of therapeutic change. Clinical Psychology Review, 41, 27-39. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.06.007

---

Institutional Responsibilities

Centre for Urban Mental Health (University of Amsterdam)

Together with professor Reinout Wiers, Claudi is the director of the Centre for Urban Mental Health (UMH), part of the University of Amsterdam. The centre aims to unravel new pathways to improve urban mental health that takes into account the complexities and dynamics of mental health problems and mental health disorders in an urban environment.

To read more about the Centre for Urban Mental Health, visit the UMH-website >>

European Association of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Treatment

To promote innovation in the field of clinical psychology and innovate interventions and to represent clinical psychology in Europe on a policy level, She has lead the European Association of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Treatment (EACLIPT) as a president between 2019 and 2024. EACLIPT aims to foster research, education, and dissemination of scientifically evaluated findings on mental disorders and their treatment. Our efforts resulted in representation of the EACLIPT in the European Parliament in the last years.

To read more about the European Association for Clinical Psychology and Psychological Treatment, visit the EACLIPT-website >>

Centre of Excellence in Mental Health Sciences (CEMHS): Unravelling new pathways to improve mental health.

The purpose and objective of the interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence in Mental Health Sciences (CEMHS) is to unravel new pathways to improve mental health with interventions and policy-making, that take into account the complexity and dynamics of mental health problems and conditions in their environment. For further information, see cemhs.org.

Policy and Advice

On a national policy level, Claudi is an advisor of the advisory board of the Dutch government (kennisring Raad voor Samenleving) and previously a supervisory board member of a mental health institute (Arkin, Amsterdam). Further, she is a member of the multi-disciplinary clinical guideline committee Depression for more than a decade.

---

Ongoing PhD’s

Primary Supervisor

• Agnes Ayuningtias (2024 – 2028). Multi-level intervention for common mental health condition in low and middle income countries: Targeting social connection with help of digital technology.
• Luana Gavan (2023 – 2027). Targeting suicidality in young adults: a randomized controlled, pragmatic, multicenter trial evaluating the (cost)-effectiveness of Attachment Based Family Therapy compared to Treatment as usual. Primary supervisor.
• Nineke Wilts (2023 – 2027). StayFine: A personalized monitoring and intervention app to prevent relapse of anxiety and depressive disorders in youth and young adults. Primary supervisor.
• Wilco Janssen (2023 – 2027). Effectiveness of Online Therapy in Suicide Prevention (preliminary title). Primary supervisor.
• Joost Gülpen (2022 – 2026). Targeting partial remission in depression by adding a cognitive remediation to a psychological intervention. Primary supervisor.
• Nancy Schipper (2020 – 2024). Virtual reality as treatment for depression. Primary supervisor.
• Junus van der Wal (2020 – 2024). Unravelling the dynamics of depression in high-risk urban populations using a complex systems approach. Primary supervisor.
• Suzanne Robberegt (2018 – 2024). StayFine: A personalized monitoring and intervention app to prevent relapse of anxiety and depressive disorders in youth and young adults. Primary supervisor.

Secondary Supervisor

• Nele Bergers (2022 – 2026). Targeting suicidality in young adults: a randomized controlled, pragmatic, multicenter trial evaluating the (cost)-effectiveness of Attachment Based Family Therapy compared to Treatment as usual. Secondary supervisor.
• Anneke Vuuregge (2022 – 2026). Working out urban stress. Secondary supervisor.
• Vera Korenblik (2022 – 2026). The influence of the microbiome on depression in urban youth. Secondary supervisor.
• Bas Kooiman (2019 – 2024). StayFine: A personalized monitoring and intervention app to prevent relapse of anxiety and depressive disorders in youth and young adults. Secondary supervisor.
• Jessy Bergamin (2019 – 2024). Psychiatry and autonomy. Secondary supervisor.
• Caroline Heuschen (2019 – 2024). Suicidality in mental health disorders. Secondary supervisor.

---

Clinical psychologist

Claudi is a registered clinical psychologist, CBT supervisor, psychotherapist, healthcare psychologist, and the head of training of healthcare psychologists at Cure & Care Development.