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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Unit

Research

The MUHC CBT Unit is involved in ongoing effectiveness research involving topics related to the cost-effective administration of CBT to improve mental health outcomes and the effects of training on augmenting accessibility of CBT. Clients referred to the Unit for treatment or professionals receiving CBT training may be asked if they are interested in participating in ongoing research projects. If so, they will be provided with all the pertinent information about the project, and asked to sign an informed consent. Clients and trainees are free to participate or not as they choose, without altering their treatment experience in the MUHC CBT Unit. All research projects are approved by the Research Ethics Board of the MUHC. 

Ongoing research projects in the MUHC CBT Unit:

The Suitability for Short-term CBT Project. This project deals with the question of what sorts of problems and what personal characteristics can predict those clients who will benefit from short-term CBT. The MUHC CBT Unit has pioneered the systematic use of a specialized assessment tool, the Suitability for Short-Term Cognitive Therapy interview and rating procedure (Safran et al 90), which refines the client selection for short-term CBT  in order to ensure a positive experience for CBT clients, maximize resource allocation and enhance training outcomes. Pre-treatment information on such characteristics as age, personality traits, attachment style, emotional avoidance, interpersonal sensitivity, and tendency to somatise have been analyzed to see what predicts good outcome. 

  • The Impact of a CBT Training Program for Mental Health Professionals. This project evaluates the impact of the MUHC CBT Unit training program on confidence, perceived skills, knowledge and use of CBT among for mental health professionals working in the community. 
  • Predicting the Outcome of Therapy for Individuals with Depression and Anxiety: The Importance of Coping Tendencies. This project investigates the association between dysfunctional attitudes and coping tendencies for predicting successful outcome of CBT for patients with depression and anxiety. 
  • 2011-13: Manualized group cognitive-behavioural intervention for social anxiety in schizophrenia: An efficacy pilot study.  With Douglas Institute. Investigators: Tina Montreuil, Martin Lepage.
  • Multisite collaborations:

Selected Publications:

Renaud, J., Russell, J.J., Myhr,G. Predicting Who Benefits Most from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety and Depression. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2014; Vol. 70(10), 924–932. DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22099.

The Canadian Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies / l’Association canadienne des thérapies cognitive et comportementales, 2012 Board of Directors, Hadjistavropoulous, H., Radomsky, A.S., Provencher, M.D., Dobson,D., Myhr,G., Fairbrother, N., Josefowitz, N., Koerner, N. Increasing access to cognitive-behavioural treatment in Canada. Psynopsis, the Magazine of the Canadian Psychological Association. 2013; 17-18. 

Renaud, J., Russell, J.J., Myhr,G. The association between outcome expectancies and avoidance in predicting the outcome of cognitive-behavioural therapy for major depressive disorder. British Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2013; 42-52.  DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8260.2012.02044.x

Myhr, G., Russell, J.J., Saint-Laurent, M., Tagalakis, V., Belisle, D., Khodary, F.,Faridi, K., Pinard, G. Assessing Suitability for Short-Term Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Psychiatric Outpatients with Psychosis: A Comparison with Depressed and Anxious Outpatients. Journal of Psychiatric Practice. 2013; 29-41. DOI: 10.1097/01.pra.0000426325.49396.4c

Foley, E., Dunkley, D.M., Zuroff, D., Westreich, R. and Myhr,G. Understanding differential treatment response to CBT in depressed patients: The effects of self-criticism, dependency, and efficacy on daily stress, coping, and affect. Poster at World Conference of Cognitive Behavioural Therapies, Peru, July, 2013.

Lepage, M., Montreuil, T., Malla, A., Messina, K., Joober, R., Belanger, C., Myhr, G.  Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Social Anxiety in First- Episode Psychosis: An Uncontrolled Study. Paper presented at World Conference of Cognitive Behavioural Therapies, Peru, July, 2013.

Myhr, G. Magill, C. CBT Training Effects on Mental Health Professionals. Data presented as part of a panel discussion on Increasing Access to CBT in Canada: Bridging the Gap between the Bench and the Clinic. CACBT Annual Conference, Montreal, May 2013.