There has been an increase in attention to studying shared mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders. The 'Jumping to conclusions' (JTC(1)) bias, a tendency to make decisions with certainty based on insufficient information, has been reported in patients with psychosis, and process-based treatment protocols targeting this bias have recently been developed. This review aimed to investigate to what extent the JTC bias, measured by various tasks, is associated with psychotic disorders and other psychiatric disorders using a meta-analytic approach. We examined 6864 articles published between 1990 and 2015, and meta-analysed 46 studies. The first meta-analysis included 40 effect sizes comparing patients with schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders and healthy controls. There was a hastier data-gathering style in patients with psychosis than healthy individuals, with a moderate aggregated effect size. The second meta-analysis included 18 effect sizes comparing patients with non-psychotic disorders and healthy controls. There was marked heterogeneity in effect sizes and evidence for publication bias. After removal of outliers, the aggregated effect size for JTC was not statistically significant. A planned subgroup analysis showed no significant effect of JTC in depression. Other diagnostic subgroups yielded small non-significant results. Therefore, our findings do not support the suggestion that JTC is a transdiagnostic phenomenon beyond psychosis.

Background: Rumination and overgeneral autobiographical memory are dysfunctional cognitions commonly found in older adults with depression. The theoretical underpinnings of mindfulnessbased cognitive therapy (MBCT) address the ruminative tendencies and the non-specific retrieval of autobiographical memories. This study aims to examine the efficacy and cognitive mechanisms of MBCT in older adults with active depressive symptoms. Methods: 57 older adults (mean age, 70 years) with normal cognition and mild to moderate depressive symptoms were randomly allocated to either the MBCT group or the active control group for 8 weeks. The MBCT group consisted of eight 2-hour weekly sessions and a 7-hour full-day retreat, with different themes for each class, guided mindfulness exercises, feedback and discussion, homework review, and psychoeducation. The active control group comprised a 1-hour physical exercise and a standardised health education of the specific theme with group discussion (eg fall prevention, chronic pain). Participants were assessed before and after the 8-week intervention for four outcome measures: the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT), and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Results: There was a significant reduction in severity of depressive symptoms (HAMD score) in both the MBCT group (F(1, 27) = 35.9, p < 0.001, η 2 = 0.57) and the active control group (F(1, 28) = 9.29, p < 0.01, η 2 = 0.24), but only the MBCT group showed substantial improvements in autobiographical memory specificity (AMT score), rumination (RRS score), and mindfulness (MAAS score). Conclusion:Although both MBCT and active control programme decrease the severity of depressive symptoms in older adults, only MBCT improves AMS, rumination, and mindfulness. Our findings provide empirical support for the theoretical underpinnings of MBCT. Older adults with more severe depression and more severe dysfunctional cognition may benefit more from the specific therapeutic effects of MBCT.

The efficacy of high‐definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD‐tDCS) in late‐life depression (LLD) remains unknown due to limited research on its therapeutic effects on the hallmarks of LLD—the depressive and cognitive symptoms. The present open‐label pilot study aimed to examine the effectiveness of HD‐tDCS as an augmentation therapy with antidepressants in improving the depressive and cognitive symptoms for LLD. Significant improvements were hypothesized in the depressive, cognitive, and daily functioning outcomes over time. A total of 15 subjects with LLD (13 females, mean age = 73.27 ± 6.25) received five consecutive daily sessions of 20‐minute active HD‐tDCS interventions weekly for 2 weeks, with a 2 mA anodal stimulation over F3 and cathodal stimulation over FC1, AF3, F7, and FC5. Depressive symptoms and cognitive and daily functioning were assessed across five assessment timepoints. The results revealed that the HD‐tDCS was effective in reducing the depressive severity and the remission rates, with a sustained effect at both the 1‐month and 3‐month follow‐up. Pre‐post improvements were seen in the overall cognitive functioning and in verbal fluency, but not in executive functioning. Our pilot study provides a preliminary result of HD‐tDCS in LLD, which was a safe and effective treatment in alleviating depressive symptoms, with mild cognitive improvements observed. Further larger scale randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm this result.

Objective: We aim to provide an up-to-date systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of cognitive stimulation (CS) on cognition, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in persons with dementia. Factors affecting the treatment effect were examined. Methods: A literature search was performed on databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, and Cochrane Library up to 7 March 2019. Only randomised controlled trials investigating the effects of CS in persons with dementia were included. The outcome measures were cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and quality of life. Results: 20 randomised controlled trials with a total of 1251 participants (intervention group: 674; control group: 577) were included for meta-analysis. Most participants had mild to moderate dementia. CS had a significant positive small-to-moderate effect on cognition (Hedges's g = 0.313, p < 0.001). Heterogeneity of CS was low to moderate (Q=30.5854, df=19, p < 0.05, I 2 = 37.877%). Inconclusive results were found for depressive symptoms and quality of life. Conclusion: CS has a significant positive effect on cognitive function, but its effect on depressive symptoms and quality of life was inconclusive. Future studies with more robust methodology establishing evidence of its efficacy are required.