Post-Doctoral Institute on Mood Disorders

Workshop Line Up:

Most workshops will be at the Loyola University Columbia Campus. The February 22nd workshop will be at the MPA office. The November 1st workshop will be at the BWI Airport Marriott.

  • Diagnosis of Depression- PDI Introductory SessionDavid Roth, Ph.D.- February 22, 2019
  • Innovations in Assessing and Treating Suicidal RiskDavid Jobes, Ph.D., ABPP - May 3 2019
  • Contemporary Cognitive Behavioral and Psychodynamic Treatments for Depression Dave Roth, Ph.D. and Don Ross, M.D. October 21, 2019
  • Medication and Other Somatic treatments- Marc Lener, MD  November 1, 2019
  • Mood Disorders in Women Throughout the Life Cycle- Julie Bindeman, Psy.D. and Harita Raja, M.D. January 10, 2020
  • Treating Depression in Children and Teens and the Relevance of Neural CircuitryMary Alvord, Ph.D., Ken Towbin, MD, and Anahi Collado, Ph.D.  March 27, 2020
  • Bi-polar Disorder - Ben Borja, MD  May 8, 2020
  • Depression in the Elderly- Susan Lehman, M.D. October 16, 2020
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With the exception of the 2/22/19, 11/1/19 and the 3/27/20, the workshops and small group seminar will be held on the same day with the following schedule. The workshop will be held from 9:00 am - 12:15 pm with a 15 minute break and the small group seminar will be held from 12:30pm -2pm and will include lunch. Details regarding the exceptions are with their workshop descriptions. 

Diagnosis of Depression

Dave Roth, Ph.D

February 22, 2019
9:00 am-10:30 am (There is no small group seminar) 

Depression is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorders with well over 16 million Americans meeting clinical criteria last year alone.  It is notable that treatment may be delayed, mismanaged or completely missed, in part, because of the challenges of accurately identifying a depressive episode.  Depression is not a singular diagnostic entity.  It is a heterogeneous entity, a family of related disorders.  During this workshop, we will discuss a categorical-dimensional approach (DSM-V) to diagnosis.  We will review the major sub-categories of depression, identifying the central diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Persistent Depressive Disorders (PDD).  Finally, we will discuss epidemiological features of depression and the challenges of stigma.

After attending this workshop, attendees will be able to:

  • Identify the diagnostic criteria for MDD and PDD;
  • List specifiers used to subtype MDD;
  • Discuss issues of stigma and interventions for stigmatized depressed people.

 

Innovations in Assessing and Treating Suicidal Risk

David Jobes, Ph.D., ABPP

May 3, 2019
Workshop 9:00am- 12:15pm
Small Group Seminar:  12:30- 2:00pm

This workshop will focus on various innovations in the clinical assessment and treatment of suicidal risk. There will be a particular focus on reliably identifying different suicidal states that can be optimally matched to different evidence-based interventions and treatments. There will also be consideration of relevant mental health policy, ethical considerations, and how one decreased the risk of malpractice liability related to suicide.

After attending this workshop, attendees will be able to:

  • Describe innovations in evidence-based clinical assessment of suicidal risk;
  • Describe innovations in evidence-based suicide-specific interventions and treatments;
  • Describe suicide-related systems of care issues as well as ethical and malpractice considerations.

 

 Medication and Other Somatic Treatments

 Marc Lener, MD  

November 1,2019 
Workshop 9:00am- 12:15pm
Small Group Seminar:  

Full Details Coming Soon

Contemporary Cognitive Behavioral and Psychodynamic Treatments for Depression

Dave Roth, Ph.D. and Don Ross, M.D. 

October 21, 2019 
Workshop 9:00am- 12:15pm
Small Group Seminar:  12:30- 2:00pm

Psychotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of depressive disorders are quite widespread.   This workshop will discuss, compare, and contrast two of the leading and most frequently used therapeutic models: psychodynamic and cognitive therapy.  Cognitive therapy for depression has evolved considerably since Aaron Beck, M.D. and colleagues wrote their seminal piece: “Cognitive Therapy of Depression” (1979).   We will identify contemporary strategies that cognitive behaviorally oriented therapists utilize to identify depressogenic ideation and beliefs.  We will also identify key interventions to re-activate depressed clients and enable them to evaluate, correct, and replace distortions of thinking.

Depression can be viewed productively from a psychodynamic lens as well.  Here, early conflicts and compromise formations in childhood result in deformations of character structure that increase the patient's vulnerability to loss as an adult.  In predisposed individuals, loss now challenges underlying fantasies and illusions in ways that create hopelessness and despair.  Understanding these internal configurations allows the psychotherapist powerful leverage to help the patient make necessary psychological changes.  This can be particularly helpful in "treatment-resistant" cases. In this workshop, we will outline and illustrate the power of both CBT and psychodynamic psychotherapy in understanding and treating depression, highlight their commonalities and differences, and present a framework within which to work with both models in an integrative manner in certain clinical situations. 

After attending this workshop, attendees will be able to

  • List the core tenets of cognitive therapy.
  • Utilize behavioral activation and belief modification skills
  •  Compare and contrast the psychodynamic with the cognitive-behavioral understanding of depression and list at least 3 differences with regards to psychotherapeutic interventions in a typical clinical situation.
  • Explain common psychodynamically-relevant childhood antecedents to clinical depression in the face of loss of a treasured relationship as an adult.
  • Discuss depression from three different psychodynamic frames: structural, object-relational, and self-psychological.
  • Outline and utilize a psychotherapeutic strategy that integrates key psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral paradigms in treating an adult patient with treatment-resistant depression

 Mood Disorders in Women Throughout the Life Cycle

Julie Bindeman, Psy.D. and Harita Raja, M.D. 

January 10, 2020 
Workshop 9:00am- 12:15pm
Small Group Seminar:  12:30- 2:00pm

Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression than men.  Moreover, they tend to have a chronic course with longer episodes.  The biopsychosocial model provides us with multiple theories for the disparity in prevalence.  This workshop will look at mood disorders from this perspective, focusing on vulnerable time periods during the reproductive sequence of menses, pregnancy, postpartum and perimenopause, as well as infertility and loss.  

After attending this workshop, attendees will be able to 

  • Identify the various predisposing theories increasing risk of mood disorders in women;
  • Explain the different postpartum mood disorder;
  • Compare intervention strategies for mood disorders in women.

Treating Depression in Children and Teens and the Relevance of Neural Circuit

Mary Alvord, Ph.D., Ken Towbin, MD, and Anahi Collado, Ph.D.  

March 27, 2020 
Workshop: 8:30am- 1:20pm
Small Group Seminar:  1:45pm- 3:15pm

There is a complex inter-relationship between the “primary” anxiety disorders (social anxiety, Generalized Anxiety, Separation Anxiety), irritability, and Major Depression.  These conditions may be two sides of the same coin.  Furthermore, depression or anxiety in childhood or adolescence substantially increases the risk for impairment in adulthood.  In addition, there is evidence for fundamental impairment in reward circuitry in depression. Impairment in reward anticipation closely relates to these concepts of habitual negative thinking.  Impairment in reward completion, (that is, anhedonia) diminishes the likelihood of seeking further rewards.  Current work focuses on the dimensionality of reward circuitry impairment as a) a risk for depression, b) the specificity of impairment in reward circuitry in depression, and the c) predictive value of impairment of reward circuitry for selecting treatments and outcomes.  Information from reward circuitry has led to refinements in cognitive restructuring and potential psychological augmentation strategies informed by neurophysiology. This makes evidence-based treatment a compelling priority for children and adolescents.

  

This workshop will focus on the transdiagnostic nature of depression in youth, the most recent research on neural circuitry, and empirically-supported treatment strategies.  We will present and demonstrate interventions including cognitive restructuring, tolerance of discomfort, and promotion of physiological awareness and psychological flexibility. The components of Behavioral Activation, an empirically-supported treatment for depression that uses a reward-oriented approach, will be discussed as a tool for transdiagnostic symptom change. Recent studies demonstrate that Behavioral Activation may improve worry, depressive symptoms, cognitive avoidance, intolerance of uncertainty and problem-solving orientation.  

 After attending this workshop, attendees will be able to 

  • Explain the complex relationship in which anxiety or depression in adolescence increases risk of illness in adults;
  • Discuss strategies for generalization and relapse prevention;
  • Explain the theoretical foundations of Behavioral Activation and one strategy;
  • Describe impairments in reward circuitry and become aware of techniques for cognitive restructuring drawn from this neuroscience;
  • Demonstrate two strategies to assist youth in developing healthier, alternative thoughts and actions using a cognitive behavior approach. 

Bi-polar Disorder - 

Ben Borja, MD  May 8, 202020 
Workshop 9:00am- 12:15pm
Small Group Seminar:  12:30- 2:00pm

Depression in the Elderly- 

Susan Lehman, M.D. October 16, 202020 
Workshop 9:00am- 12:15pm
Small Group Seminar:  12:30- 2:00pm