Information on Workshops

Full Day Workshop, Wednesday March 12,  9:00 am – 4:30 pm

Part I (9-11 am): Overview of recent advances in psychotherapy research
1. Mike Lambert / Brigham Young University, Utah
What have we learned from a decade of reseach aimed at improving psychotherapy outcome in routine care?
Special areas which will be addressed in the lecture:

• Patients at risk for treatment failure can be identified through brief assessment
• how to provide therapists with decision support tools and problem solving strategies for these “off-track” patients
• Dose response relationship and methods of measuring change

2. Jacques Barber (U Pennsylvania):
Strengths and weaknesses of RCT´s for studying psychosocial interventions
Special areas which will be addressed in the lecture:

• Issues to consider in studying mechanisms of change
• Assessing fidelity of psychosocial interventions
• (Efficacy of dynamic therapy for different disorders)

Part II (11.30 am – 1.30 pm): Steps and problems in developing and performing psychosocial interventions in psychosomatic medicine – own experiences
1. Jim Blumenthal
Psychosocial Interventions in Cardiac Patients – own experiences

• Rationale of the interventions. What worked well, what did not? What were the relevant differences between Duke studies and ENRICHD?
• Which are the psychosocial and physiological parameters we want to change and how do we measure them ?

2. Mike Antoni, Miami:
Interventions in cancer and / or HIV patients

• Rationale of the interventions. What worked well, what did not?
• Which are the psychosocial and physiological parameters we want to change and how do we measure them ?

3. Christian Albus, Cologne:
Multimodal psychosocial intervention in coronary patients OR Life skills training by employees at a big car manufacturer

• Rationale of the Intervention. What worked well, what did not ?
• Which are the psychosocial and physiological parameters we want to change and how do we measure them ?
• Relevance of background variables (such as motivation, group cohesion, therapist-patient relationship etc.)

Part III (2.30 pm – 4.30 pm): Hands-on workshop
How to set up a concrete psychosocial intervention study /
What can we do in order to get a perfect study with a perfect intervention
2.30 – 4.00 pm
The above questions are addressed in two separate groups with one SPR / APS speaker pair each: One participant in each group presents a preliminary idea/draft for setting up an intervention study, the whole group then works together on the concept.
4.00 – 4.30 pm: Wrap-up of workshop results in the plenary

Half Day Workshop, Wednesday March 12,  1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Modeling Observational Data Using Multivariable Regression Techniques: Some Fundamentals and Practical Advice for Building Models with Scientific Value

Faculty: Michael A. Babyak, PhD, Professor of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Duke University Medical Center

Multivariable regression models (e.g., multiple linear regression, logistic regression, time-to-event models, etc.) are frequently used to evaluate research questions in psychosomatic medicine. This workshop will focus on some of the fundamental aspects of modeling, as well as the problems that we frequently encounter with real world data. Where possible, we will discuss solutions for those problems. We will start with a brief survey of the history of modeling and an assessment of the success of various modeling approaches in providing scientifically sound information. Specific aspects of model-development will then be presented. These include: sample size and design; criteria for selecting measures before data collection; principles of variable selection after data collection; confounding versus mediation; interactions (moderation) and subgroup analysis; scaling predictors to make meaningful comparisons; and evaluation of model assumptions and fit. In addition, we will briefly examine alternatives and complements to conventional multivariable models, including propensity scoring and full structural equation models. The presentation is geared heavily toward the non-statistician, but some fundamental understanding of regression-type models is expected.

Half Day Workshop, Wednesday March 12,  1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Workshop Faculty: Francis Creed, Joel Dimsdale, Peter Gianaros, David Krantz, & Paul Mills
Organizer: Peter Gianaros

Revising and resubmitting are routine and inevitable parts of life for investigators at all career stages. Without practice and experience, however, many junior investigators are in need of advice about particular writing skills and emotion regulation strategies that underpin clear and cool-headed responses to reviewers. Critically, these skills and strategies enable the successful publication of scientific reports that are ultimately strengthened by the peer review process. The learning objective of this workshop is to provide an overview of the peer-review process and to offer concrete advice about the do’s and don’ts of revising and resubmitting. After an interactive discussion with workshop faculty, participants will work in small groups to constructively critique and revise example cover letters that respond to peer reviewers. To benefit most from this workshop, participants are encouraged to bring up to 5 copies of their own cover letters that respond to reviewers’ comments on a submitted paper. These letters will be discussed in the small group sessions. Participants are also encouraged to come prepared with questions for workshop faculty. Participants who do not have a cover letter are encouraged to bring an abstract instead. Enrollment will be limited to approximately 25-30 participants.

Topics for Introductory Discussion by Workshop Faculty with Editorial Experience*

1 (Krantz). Overview of the peer review process (e.g., What happens to a paper after a submission? What are the different editorial decisions? What goes in to the different editorial decisions? Etc.).
2 (Creed). How to avoid uncharitable reviews before you submit (e.g., Tips on how to select the right journal, how to write for the right audience, how to avoid committing common mistakes prior to submission, how to be aware of what reviewers look for, etc.).
3 (Mills). Tips on what to do after ‘hard’ rejections that come with and without peer reviews (e.g., Tips on discussing the decision with co-authors, selecting a new journal, and incorporating reviews into the manuscript even if it’s not sent to the same journal, etc.).
4 (Dimsdale). What to do when you get the opportunity to revise and resubmit by responding to reviews (e.g., Tips on reading and coping with harsh / critical reviews, organizing written responses, composing cover letters, getting input from the action editor to clarify points, arguing out of adding results, presenting data in the cover letter itself, etc.).

Small Groups (5 groups; ~5 participants per group; 1 workshop faculty per group)*

In the small groups, the faculty will interact more intensively with workshop participants to answer particular questions about writing, revising, and re-submitting. Here the questions can be about any component of the paper (e.g., abstract, Introduction, Method, etc). Participants will also be asked to bring up to 5 copies of revision letters that they are working on or previous letters that were particularly demanding to write. (Workshop faculty should also come prepared with 1 or 2 example letters - in the event that participants come without letters.) The goal is for the participants to come away from the small groups with concrete and constructive feedback on their letters. Ideally, the feedback will incorporate and re-emphasize the topics and advice provided in the Introductory Discussion.