Overview
I am a Research Fellow on an NIMH funded clinical trial: Developing rumination-focused treatment to reduce risk for depression recurrence in adolescence (RuMeChange).
The trial principal investigators are (equal co-PI) Scott Langenecker (University of Utah, Salt Lake City) and Edward Watkins, University of Exeter. This project takes the rumination-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy developed for adults by Ed Watkins at Exeter and extends it to adolescents with a history of recurrent depression, to test in consecutive clinical trials if it helps to prevent relapse in adolescence. The research also tests mechanistic hypotheses including assessment of behavioural indices of rumination and changes in functional brain connectivity (cognitive control network to default mode network) as a consequence of treatment and as a predictor of prognosis.
Qualifications
PhD Psychology (2013)
MSc Psychological Research Methods (2008)
BSc Psychology (2005)
Research group links
Research
Research interests
Rumination, cognitive control, experimental psychopathology, depression and anxiety, neurodevelopment and mental health, childhood brain injury
Research projects
Research fellow on the RuMe Change trial: Developing rumination-focused treatment to reduce risk for depression recurrence in adolescence (PIs Dr Ed Watkins and Dr Scott Langenecker).
Co-lead on a Wellcome Internal Strategic Support Funded study developing and evaluating a novel working memory updating training to reduce repetitive negative thought in young people (co PI with Dr Anna Adlam).
Past projects:
Researcher on an Action Medical Research funded trial examining the efficacy of computerised working memory training in children who have survived a brain injury (PI Dr Anna Adlam).
Qualitative researcher on a feasibility study investigating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of Teen Online Problem-Solving (TOPS-UK) for young people following brain injury (PI Dr Anna Adlam).
Research Fellow supporting the development of a Child and Adolescent Neuropsychology Clinic (co-leads Dr Anna Adlam and Dr Jenny Limond).
Researcher on the ADAPT Genetics study, an international study examining genetic and environmental factors that influence recovery following severe paediatric TBI (PI Dr Brad Kurowski, U.K. PI Dr Anna Adlam).
Researcher on a community cohort study examining whether disturbances in reward system function predict current and future mood disorder symptoms and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours (PI Dr Barney Dunn).
Rumination and cognitive inhibition (PhD research) - a programme of experimental research examining the causal associations between rumination and facets of cognitive control (supervisors Dr Ed Watkins and Dr Andy Wills).
Publications
Key publications | Publications by category | Publications by year
Publications by category
Journal articles
Roberts H, Moberly NJ, Cull T, Gow H, Honeysett M, Dunn B (In Press). Short-term affective consequences of specificity of rumination about unresolved personal goals.
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry Full text.
Kirschner H, Kuyken W, Wright K, Roberts H, Brejcha C, Karl A (2019). Soothing Your Heart and Feeling Connected: a New Experimental Paradigm to Study the Benefits of Self-Compassion.
Clinical Psychological Science,
7(3), 545-565.
Abstract:
Soothing Your Heart and Feeling Connected: a New Experimental Paradigm to Study the Benefits of Self-Compassion
© the Author(s) 2019. Self-compassion and its cultivation in psychological interventions are associated with improved mental health and well-being. However, the underlying processes for this are not well understood. We randomly assigned 135 participants to study the effect of two short-term self-compassion exercises on self-reported-state mood and psychophysiological responses compared to three control conditions of negative (rumination), neutral, and positive (excitement) valence. Increased self-reported-state self-compassion, affiliative affect, and decreased self-criticism were found after both self-compassion exercises and the positive-excitement condition. However, a psychophysiological response pattern of reduced arousal (reduced heart rate and skin conductance) and increased parasympathetic activation (increased heart rate variability) were unique to the self-compassion conditions. This pattern is associated with effective emotion regulation in times of adversity. As predicted, rumination triggered the opposite pattern across self-report and physiological responses. Furthermore, we found partial evidence that physiological arousal reduction and parasympathetic activation precede the experience of feeling safe and connected.
Abstract.
Full text.
Roberts H, Watkins ER, Wills AJ (2016). Does Rumination Cause “Inhibitory” Deficits?.
Psychopathology Review,
a4(3), 341-376.
Full text.
Roberts H, Watkins ER, Wills AJ (2013). Cueing an unresolved personal goal causes persistent ruminative self-focus: an experimental evaluation of control theories of rumination.
J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry,
44(4), 449-455.
Abstract:
Cueing an unresolved personal goal causes persistent ruminative self-focus: an experimental evaluation of control theories of rumination.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Control theory predicts that the detection of goal discrepancies initiates ruminative self-focus (Martin & Tesser, 1996). Despite the breadth of applications and interest in control theory, there is a lack of experimental evidence evaluating this prediction. The present study provided the first experimental test of this prediction. METHODS: We examined uninstructed state rumination in response to the cueing of resolved and unresolved goals in a non-clinical population using a novel measure of online rumination. RESULTS: Consistent with control theory, cueing an unresolved goal resulted in significantly greater recurrent intrusive ruminative thoughts than cueing a resolved goal. Individual differences in trait rumination moderated the impact of the goal cueing task on the extent of state rumination: individuals who had a stronger tendency to habitually ruminate were more susceptible to the effects of cueing goal discrepancies. LIMITATIONS: the findings await replication in a clinically depressed sample where there is greater variability and higher levels of trait rumination. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that control theories of goal pursuit provide a valuable framework for understanding the circumstances that trigger state rumination. Additionally, our measure of uninstructed online state rumination was found to be a valid and sensitive index of the extent and temporal course of state rumination, indicating its value for further investigating the proximal causes of state rumination.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Full text.
Chapters
Dunn BD, Roberts H (2016). Improving the capacity to treat depression using talking therapies: Setting a positive clinical psychology agenda. In Wood A, Johnson J (Eds.) Handbook of Positive Clinical Psychology.
Publications by year
In Press
Roberts H, Moberly NJ, Cull T, Gow H, Honeysett M, Dunn B (In Press). Short-term affective consequences of specificity of rumination about unresolved personal goals.
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry Full text.
2019
Kirschner H, Kuyken W, Wright K, Roberts H, Brejcha C, Karl A (2019). Soothing Your Heart and Feeling Connected: a New Experimental Paradigm to Study the Benefits of Self-Compassion.
Clinical Psychological Science,
7(3), 545-565.
Abstract:
Soothing Your Heart and Feeling Connected: a New Experimental Paradigm to Study the Benefits of Self-Compassion
© the Author(s) 2019. Self-compassion and its cultivation in psychological interventions are associated with improved mental health and well-being. However, the underlying processes for this are not well understood. We randomly assigned 135 participants to study the effect of two short-term self-compassion exercises on self-reported-state mood and psychophysiological responses compared to three control conditions of negative (rumination), neutral, and positive (excitement) valence. Increased self-reported-state self-compassion, affiliative affect, and decreased self-criticism were found after both self-compassion exercises and the positive-excitement condition. However, a psychophysiological response pattern of reduced arousal (reduced heart rate and skin conductance) and increased parasympathetic activation (increased heart rate variability) were unique to the self-compassion conditions. This pattern is associated with effective emotion regulation in times of adversity. As predicted, rumination triggered the opposite pattern across self-report and physiological responses. Furthermore, we found partial evidence that physiological arousal reduction and parasympathetic activation precede the experience of feeling safe and connected.
Abstract.
Full text.
2016
Roberts H, Watkins ER, Wills AJ (2016). Does Rumination Cause “Inhibitory” Deficits?.
Psychopathology Review,
a4(3), 341-376.
Full text.
Dunn BD, Roberts H (2016). Improving the capacity to treat depression using talking therapies: Setting a positive clinical psychology agenda. In Wood A, Johnson J (Eds.) Handbook of Positive Clinical Psychology.
2013
Roberts H, Watkins ER, Wills AJ (2013). Cueing an unresolved personal goal causes persistent ruminative self-focus: an experimental evaluation of control theories of rumination.
J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry,
44(4), 449-455.
Abstract:
Cueing an unresolved personal goal causes persistent ruminative self-focus: an experimental evaluation of control theories of rumination.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Control theory predicts that the detection of goal discrepancies initiates ruminative self-focus (Martin & Tesser, 1996). Despite the breadth of applications and interest in control theory, there is a lack of experimental evidence evaluating this prediction. The present study provided the first experimental test of this prediction. METHODS: We examined uninstructed state rumination in response to the cueing of resolved and unresolved goals in a non-clinical population using a novel measure of online rumination. RESULTS: Consistent with control theory, cueing an unresolved goal resulted in significantly greater recurrent intrusive ruminative thoughts than cueing a resolved goal. Individual differences in trait rumination moderated the impact of the goal cueing task on the extent of state rumination: individuals who had a stronger tendency to habitually ruminate were more susceptible to the effects of cueing goal discrepancies. LIMITATIONS: the findings await replication in a clinically depressed sample where there is greater variability and higher levels of trait rumination. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that control theories of goal pursuit provide a valuable framework for understanding the circumstances that trigger state rumination. Additionally, our measure of uninstructed online state rumination was found to be a valid and sensitive index of the extent and temporal course of state rumination, indicating its value for further investigating the proximal causes of state rumination.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Full text.
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