Positive Imagery Cognitive Bias Modification for People with Elevated Depression Symptoms: A Pilot Study in Iran

The health burden posed by depression and difficulty accessing effective treatments has led to increased interest in simple internet-delivered cognitive training programs as potential low-intensity, inexpensive and scalable interventions. One such candidate intervention, positive imagery cognitive bias modification (imagery CBM) involves repeated resolution of ambiguity via generation of positive mental imagery, and has shown promise in the context of depression in previous research. The current pilot study investigated a 4-week internet-delivered imagery CBM intervention in Iran. Seventy adults with elevated symptoms of depression were randomized to complete the imagery CBM intervention or a sham training control condition, and completed outcome measures at post-training and a two-month follow-up. Attrition was high, indicating the need for further adaptations to the training schedule. However, overall the pattern of results suggest promise for the imagery CBM in this context and the need for formal efficacy testing in fully-powered efficacy randomized controlled trials.