Return to Research Areas at ORI
Few families are untouched by depression. It can strike at any age, and is a major source of distress for the depressed person and those around them.
The causes and treatment of depression have been a focus of study at ORI for over 25 years. ORI scientists conducted the landmark Oregon Adolescent Depression Project (OADP) which tracked the trajectory of depression from adolescence to young adulthood. Current research focuses on family processes related to emotional development and depressive disorder in children and adolescents. This line of research includes behavioral and physiological measurements as well as parent and adolescent reports. Members of the research team are also studying the biological and psychological factors that influence the development of eating disorders in young women and are testing programs designed to prevent these disorders.
Current Grants
Eating Disorders Prevention: an Effectiveness Trial for At-Risk College Students (College Effectiveness)
This project is the first effectiveness trial to test whether an eating disorder prevention program with strong empirical support produces effects under ecologically valid conditions among high-risk female college students.
Principal Investigator: Eric Stice
Co-Investigators: Paul Rohde & Heather Shaw
Project Period: 4/1/10 - 2/28/15
National Institute of Mental Health
Relation of Consummatory and Anticipatory Food Reward to Obesity (Project Milkshake)
This study addresses a vital public health problem because obesity results in marked morbidity and mortality and an improved understanding of the neural substrates that contribute to obesity should inform the development of more effective prevention and treatment interventions.
Principal Investigator: Eric Stice
Co-Investigators: Dana Small, Leonard Epstein & SonjaYokum
Project Period: 8/1/09-7/31/14
National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney DiseasesWeb-Based Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Women with Postpartum Depression (Web-PPD)
The investigators are testing the efficacy of a web-based cognitive behavioral post- partum depression treatment in terms of reducing depressive symptoms at a 6 week post-test and a 3 month follow-up.
Principal Investigators: Brian Danaher (ORI); Jeannette Milgrom (University of Melbourne), & Scott Stuart (University of Iowa)
Co-Investigators: John Seeley, Pete Lewinsohn
Project Period: 7/2/09 - 3/31/12
National Institute of Mental Health
Preventing Youth Depression: A Multimedia Internet-Based Parent Program (Home Dep)
Scientists are developing and evaluating an interactive multimedia cognitive-behavioral and parent training program for preventing depression in high-risk children.
Principal Investigator: John Seeley
Project Period: 6/1/09 - 11/30/11
Subcontract with Oregon Center for Applied Science from the National Institute of Mental Health
Effectiveness Trial of an Adolescent Depression Prevention Program (Oregon Blues)
This project is the first large-scale trial of two empirically supported depression prevention programs for high-risk adolescents in real-world settings.
Principal Investigator: Paul Rohde
Co-Investigators: Eric Stice and Heather Shaw
Project Period: 1/1/09 - 11/30/13
National Institute of Mental Health
Family Therapy for Adolescent Depression: Deployment Focused Development, Phase I (Family Tx)
ORI scientists are working with local clinicians to design a developmentally appropriate, behavioral family therapy intervention for the treatment of adolescent depression that is suitable for use in applied clinical settings.
Principal Investigator: Lisa Sheeber
Co-Investigator: Betsy Davis
Project Period: 12/1/08 - 11/30/11
National Institute of Mental Health
Prevention of Suicidality in College Students: A Common Core Process Approach (Suicide Prevention)
Scientists are evaluating and assessing the impact of an acceptance and mindfulness-based intervention in a randomized trial in which college freshman are assigned to receive either it or a didactic course on adjustment to the psychological challenges of college life.
Principal Investigator: John Seeley
Co-Investigator: Tony Biglan
Project Period: 9/19/08 - 5/31/13
Subcontract with University of Nevada, Reno from National Institute of Mental Health
A Multimedia Depression Amelioration Program for Family Dementia Caregivers (Caregiver Dep)
Investigators are developing and evaluating an interactive multimedia intervention designed to reduce depressive symtomatology and prevent depressive disorders among at-risk family caregivers of older adults with dementia.
Principal Investigator: John Seeley
Project Period: 8/1/08 - 10/31/10
Subcontract (SBIR) with ORCAS, Inc. from National Institute on Aging
Transdisciplinary Studies of CBT for Anxiety in Youth (Anxious Youth)
The goal of this investigation is to better understand the interplay among social contextual and neurobehavioral factors in predicting children’s response to a CBT intervention for anxiety disorders.
Principal Investigator: Lisa Sheeber
Project Period: 6/1/08 - 5/31/13
Subcontract with the University of Pittsburgh from National Institute of Mental Health
Sequenced vs Integrated Delivery of Treatment for Adolescent Depression and SUD (Sequencing)
Scientists are evaluating service delivery methods of integrating two empirically supported interventions for major depressive disorder and substance use disorders in an effort to improve treatment engagement, response, and maintenance of gains.
Principal Investigator: Paul Rohde
Co-Investigators: Holly Waldron, Janet Brody, Sue Duncan, & Charles Turner
Project Period: 9/30/07 - 6/30/12
National Institute on Drug Abuse
A Multimedia Program to Improve Antidepressant Adherence and Prevent Relapse (Dep Relapse)
Researchers are examining how to improve antidepressant medication adherence and prevent relapse by combining it with cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Principal Investigator: John Seeley
Project Period: 8/1/07 - 10/30/09
Subcontract with ORCAS, Inc. from National Institute of Mental Health
Targeted Obesity Prevention Program for Adolescent Females (Healthy Weight)
Investigators are conducting a randomized trial of an enhanced version of the Healthy Weight program, an obesity prevention program that, in preliminary studies, was shown to reduce the rate of obesity onset, eating disorder symptoms, and negative affect among female adolescents.
Principal Investigator: Eric Stice
Co-Investigators: Paul Rohde, Heather Shaw
Project Period: 2/10/07 - 1/31/12
National Institute of Mental Health
A Cognitive-Behavioral Multimedia Internet Program to Prevent Youth Depression (Youth Dep)
Researchers in this SBIR Phase II project are completing development of an Internet-based interactive multimedia cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) program for preventing clinical depression and ameliorating depressive symptomatology in young adolescents aged 12 to 15 years old.
Principal Investigator: John Seeley
Co-Investigator: Peter Lewinsohn
Project Period: 11/1/06 - 1/31/09
Subcontract with Oregon Center for Applied Science from National Institute of Mental Health
Interactive Internet Intervention for Depressed Mothers (Dep Net)
Researchers are adapting an empirically supported cognitive behavioral therapy intervention for depression to an Internet/DVD hybrid delivery system, with content particularly relevant to mothers of young children.
Principal Investigator: Lisa Sheeber
Co-Investigators: Betsy Davis, Ed Feil, John Seeley, & Peter Lewinsohn
Project Period: 9/1/06 - 6/30/09
National Institute of Mental Health
Training for Treatment of Adolescent Depression (CWDA STTR)
In this Phase II STTR project, investigators are completing the development of an interactive computer-based program designed to train mental health professionals in delivering an established, empirically validated cognitive-behavioral program for treatment of adolescent depression.
Principal Investigator: Paul Rohde
Project Period: 7/14/06 - 6/30/09
STTR Phase II subcontract award with Deschutes Research, Inc. from National Institute of Mental Health
Eating Disorder Prevention Program Effectiveness Trial (Body Project)
Investigators are conducting an effectiveness trial of a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program that has been found to produce intervention effects on bulimic pathology, risk factors for bulimic pathology, and risk for future onset of obesity.
Principal Investigator: Eric Stice
Co-Investigator: Paul Rohde
Project Period: 3/1/05 - 2/28/11
National Institute of Mental Health