O'Driscoll, Ciarán;
(2024)
Investigating the Complexity of Mental Health: Symptom Networks, Mechanisms of Change, and Digital Interventions.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Despite the high prevalence of mental health problems, we still have a limited understanding of how they develop and how to treat them effectively. Mental health problems are heterogenous with a myriad of potential symptoms and causes. This makes it difficult to develop treatments that are effective for everyone. With existing treatments, the mechanisms of change, are not well understood. This makes it difficult to develop new and improved treatments. I present a series of studies that explore the importance of considering the heterogeneity of symptoms and comorbidities in mental health conditions, through assessment and intervention and finally in developing a digital intervention. In my first study I explore the functional relations among symptoms of depression and anxiety and compare networks for treatment remitters and those with persistent symptoms to identify potential prognostic indicators. In my second study I explore the dynamic process of symptom change during psychotherapy, illustrating how symptoms evolve and interact during psychotherapy. In my third study I investigated whether cognitive behaviour therapy and counselling for depression target different symptoms and explore the implications of modelling choices when quantifying change during treatment. In my fourth study I aimed to determine whether the associations between personality processes (e.g., mentalization, attachment, and emotion regulation) and psychopathological symptoms differed between diagnostic groups. In the final study I developed a just in time, digital behavioural health intervention targeting goal pursuit. The studies suggest that transdiagnostic assessment and formulation of symptoms can inform clinical management and prognosis. I consider the implications my findings have for applied mental health contexts.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Investigating the Complexity of Mental Health: Symptom Networks, Mechanisms of Change, and Digital Interventions |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2024. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences > Clinical, Edu and Hlth Psychology |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10190141 |
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