Emotion regulation therapy for mental disorders with chronic stress

Emotion Regulation Therapy (ERT) was developed by Prof. David Fresco and Prof. Douglas Mennin and is an innovative treatment method for patients with chronic depression and anxiety. ERT is a manualized treatment that integrates components of cognitive-behavioral, acceptance-oriented, dialectical, mindfulness-based and emotion-focused treatment using a framework based on the findings of emotion research.

Based on the English-language original, a German-language therapy manual is currently being developed and tested for its feasibility. Furthermore, the effectiveness in various specific patient groups, including complex post-traumatic stress disorders and chronic depression following aversive childhood experiences, is to be tested.

The mechanisms of symptom change with a focus on stress reactivity and various processes of emotion regulation will also be investigated.

Duration of the study: Since 2020, ongoing

Project management: Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Sebastian Trautmann, Dr. Sandra Miethe

Research assistants: Janna Wigger, M.Sc., Pauline Althoff, M.Sc.

Cooperation partners: Prof. David Fresco (University of Michigan), Prof. Douglas Mennin (Teachers College, Columbia University), Prof. Philipp Kanske (Technische Universität Dresden)

Third-party funding: intramural