Babette Renneberg

Freie Universität Berlin | FUB · Institute of Psychology

Internet-based interventions offer promise for addressing the growing demand for psychological support, but the mechanisms driving their effectiveness remain unclear. This study investigates the roles of empowerment and working alliance in reducing social anxiety and improving adherence in a clinician-guided group (GT) versus a clinician-guided ind...

Qualitative investigations that openly explore changes and facilitators of changes from the patient's perspective might offer valuable insights on impacts of therapy and helpful and hindering aspects. Our aim for this study was to explore the perspective of patients on a transdiagnostic Internet-based intervention to understand (1) which changes (p...

Background: Suicidal ideation represents a major concern in clinical practice. Yet, little is known about the effects of routine psychotherapy on the amelioration of suicidal ideation. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to assess mental disorder-specific changes of suicidal ideation in a large sample of adult outpatients undergoing routine-...

Children of parents with a mental illness (COPMI) are at risk of adverse outcomes, as well as of developing a mental illness themselves. Recognition of modifiable risk factors, along with targeted initiatives and interventions have the potential to improve their and their families’ strengths and resilience, and thus effectively interrupt this vicio...

Background Postpartum depression constitutes a significant public health issue, with prevalence rates ranging between 8 and 19% in high-income nations. Nevertheless, numerous barriers, including time constraints, societal stigmatization, and feelings of shame, contribute to the limited utilization of healthcare services during the postpartum period...

Background We describe a collection of themes for a research agenda for personality disorders that was originally formulated for the ESSPD Borderline Congress in 2022. Methods Experts with lived and living experience (EE), researchers and clinicians met virtually, exchanged ideas and discussed research topics for the field of personality disorders...

Das Lehrbuch stellt die zentralen Inhalte des reformierten Masterstudiengangs Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie dar. Eingegangen wird dabei auf alle psychotherapeutischen Richtlinienverfahren, also die Kognitive Verhaltenstherapie, die Systemische Therapie, die Tiefenpsychologisch fundierte Therapie und die Analytische Psychotherapie, sowie...

Persönlichkeitsstörungen können auch als Störungen zwischenmenschlicher Interaktion verstanden werden. Was bedeutet das Vorliegen einer Persönlichkeitsstörung für eine Elternschaft? Der Umgang mit Kindern erfordert Einfühlungsvermögen und Fähigkeiten zur Selbstregulation. Wir beleuchten in diesem Beitrag Herausforderungen von Eltern mit Persönlichk...

Background Suicidal ideation is a major concern in clinical practice. Yet, little is known about prevalence rates of suicidal ideation in patients undergoing outpatient psychotherapeutic treatment. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation in a large sample of psychotherapy outpatients in Germany. The...

Transdiagnostic cognitive behavioural psychotherapy (TD-CBT) may facilitate the treatment of emotional disorders. Here we investigate short- and long-term efficacy of TD-CBT for emotional disorders in individual, group and internet-based settings in randomized controlled trials (PROSPERO CRD42019141512). Two independent reviewers screened results f...

Background Refugee populations have an increased risk for mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorders. Comorbidity is common. At the same time, refugees face multiple barriers to accessing mental health treatment. Only a minority of them receive adequate help. The planned trial evaluates a low-threshold, transd...

Background Refugees are at high risk for developing mental illnesses. Due to language and cultural barriers, there is need for specifically adapted therapeutic procedures for refugees in inpatient mental health care settings. Internet-based applications in refugee mother tongues have the potential to improve the outcomes of mental health care for t...

Research on the understanding and especially on the treatment of borderline personality disorder (borderline PD) has made considerable progress in recent years, so that evidence-based German treatment guidelines have now been produced for the first time. This article highlights the development as well as the main content priorities and recommendati...

Background Instability in self-esteem and instability in affect are core features of borderline personality disorder (BPD). For decades, researchers and theorists have been interested in the temporal dynamics between these constructs. Some hypothesize that changes in affective states should precede changes in self-esteem (Linehan, Cognitive-behavio...

Die Einführung einer Kategorie für Störungen aufgrund von Verhaltenssüchten in die 11. Revision der International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) unterstreicht die Anerkennung der klinischen Bedeutsamkeit und der weitreichenden aversiven Konsequenzen. Studienergebnisse belegen eine substantielle Zunahme von Online-Aktivitäten und sü...

Background Studies comparing objective and self-reported cognitive functioning as well as influencing factors in individuals with remitted bipolar disorder are scarce and contradictory. Methods The aim of this study was to compare executive functioning and other objective and self-reported cognitive impairment between 26 individuals with remitted...

The presence of a parental mental disorder can lead to adverse outcomes for children. Difficulties in emotion regulation are observed across a range of mental health problems and may play a crucial role in this context. Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, and Web of Science for studies examining the as...

Research on the understanding and especially on the treatment of borderline personality disorder (borderline PD) has made considerable progress in recent years, so that evidence-based German treatment guidelines have now been produced for the first time. This article highlights the development as well as the main content priorities and recommendati...

BACKGROUND Results on parental burden during the Covid-19 pandemic are predominantly available from online convenience samples. However, these are subject to sample selection bias and, findings cannot necessarily be generalized. OBJECTIVE We assessed if results from an online convenience sample are comparable to results of a representative sample...

The COVID-19 pandemic has been negatively associated with mental health. However, little is known about the temporal dynamics of mental health in the longer term of the pandemic. We aimed to investigate symptom levels and changes of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and loneliness spanning two years of the pandemic; and to examine associat...

Objective: Rumination is a well-known risk factor for the onset and recurrence of depressive episodes. Depressed individuals with a tendency to ruminate have been found to exhibit deficits in updating the contents of working memory. Thus, working memory training targeting updating-specific cognitive control processes may bear the potential to reduc...

Affective dysregulation is a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD), and some patients report dissociative symptoms. The present study investigated the temporal dynamic relations between affective states and current dissociative experiences of depersonalization and derealization in daily life to test key theoretical premises of traum...

Background Postpartum depression is a major public health concern, which is associated with negative consequences for both mothers and children. Unfortunately, many affected women neither understand the warning signs of postpartum depression nor do they know where to seek help. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of SmartMoms, a G...

Emotional disturbances are an inherent aspect of most mental disorders and possibly driven by impaired emotion regulation. In the present study, we examined how exactly affected individuals differ from healthy individuals in regulating their emotions and whether individuals suffering from different mental disorders face similar or distinct difficul...

Background: Developmentally adapted cognitive processing therapy (D-CPT) is an effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adolescents and young adults. It is unclear if therapeutic adherence and competence in D-CPT are associated with higher PTSD treatment gains. Objective: To assess if higher therapeutic adherence and compe...

Objective: Affective dysregulation is a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD), and some patients report dissociative symptoms. The present study investigated temporal dynamic relations between affective states and current experiences of depersonalization and derealization in daily life to test key theoretical premises of trauma mode...

Rationale: Internet Use Disorders are associated with substantial intraindividual and societal impairments. For the treatment of addictive online behaviors, a novel online short-term therapy was implemented and embedded in the randomized controlled trial Stepped Care Approach for Problematic Internet use Treatment (SCAPIT; ID: DRKS00025994). Althou...

Studies assessing the burden of families in the second year of the COVID-19-pandemic and the need for support are scarce. Burden, negative and positive changes, resources, and the need for support during the COVID-19-pandemic of a representative sample of 1,087 parents (52,0 % female; mean age 40,4) of minors in Germany were assessed in December 20...

Background: Instability in self-esteem and instability in affect are core features of borderline personality disorder (BPD). For decades, researchers and theorists have been interested in the temporal dynamics between these constructs. Some hypothesize that changes in affective states should precede changes in self-esteem (Linehan, 1993), while oth...

Background and objectives Current cognitive models of social anxiety disorder (SAD) propose that individual, situation-specific self-beliefs are central to SAD. However, the role of differences in the degree to which individuals with social anxiety are convinced of self-beliefs, in particular positive ones, is still not fully understood. We compare...

Transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy (TD-CBT) may facilitate treatment of emotional disorders. We investigate short- and long-term efficacy of TD-CBT for emotional disorders in individual, group, and Internet-based settings in randomized controlled trials (PROSPERO CRD42019141512). Two independent reviewers screened results from PubMe...

Background Refugee populations have an increased risk for mental disorders, such as depressive, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorders. Comorbidity is common. At the same time, refugees face multiple barriers to accessing mental health treatment. Only a minority of them receives adequate help. The planned trial evaluates a low-threshold, trans...

Background: The recent update of the International Classification of Diseases 11th revision (ICD-11) introduced the diagnosis of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) as a distinct entity from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Because psychophysiological alterations are a core diagnostic feature of PTSD and CPTSD, the aim of the curren...

This study examined the attainment of individual treatment goals as an approach to measure treatment outcomes retrospectively in comparison to standardized self-report measures. In total, 189 outpatients defined 1-3 treatment goals (N = 455) using the Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) at the beginning of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and indicated...

Increased parental stress, poorer mental health, and an increase in the occurrence of child maltreatment (CM) have been reported in earlier phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, data from later phases of the pandemic are not yet available. We conducted a cross-sectional, representative survey among 1087 parents (48.8% female; mean age 41.72 yea...

Rationale As a result of concerns about predominantly online behavioral addictions, an increasing number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRMA) of treatment interventions for internet use disorders (IUD) are being recorded. This review was designed to (a) systematically identify the evidence base of SRMA and to (b) critically appraise the q...

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Das BDI-II ist ein Selbstbeurteilungsinstrument zur Erfassung des Schweregrads einer Depression. Es liegen kaum Analysen mit Modellen aus der Item-Response-Theorie (IRT) vor. Fragestellung: Wie hoch ist die Messgenauigkeit des BDI-II über die unterschiedlichen Ausprägungen des latenten Traits (Depressivit...

Purpose of Review Individuals with personality disorders are frequently seen in mental health settings. Their symptoms typically reflect a high level of suffering and burden of disease, with potentially harmful societal consequences, including costs related to absenteeism at work, high use of health services, ineffective or harmful parenting, subst...

Background Adolescents and young adults with abuse-related post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been shown to benefit from Developmentally Adapted Cognitive Processing Therapy (D-CPT), yet long-term efficacy of D-CPT has not yet been studied. Objective To assess the long-term efficacy of D-CPT in a sample of adolescents and young adults (age...

Background/aims Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental disorder characterized by an unstable sense of self, intense and rapidly changing affect, as well as impulsive and self-destructive behaviors. Interpersonal relationships of individuals with BPD are characterized by marked instability, a lack of dependability, and quick change...

Background The perinatal period is a time of increased vulnerability to mental health problems, however, only a small proportion of women seek help. Poor mental health literacy (MHL) is a major barrier to seeking help for mental health problems. This study aimed to collect the existing evidence of MHL associated with perinatal mental health problem...

The Unified Protocol (UP) as a transdiagnostic intervention has primarily been applied in the treatment of anxiety disorders and in face-to-face-settings. The current study investigated the efficacy of a 10-week Internet-based adaptation of the UP for anxiety, depressive, and somatic symptom disorders. The trial was registered under DRKS00014820 at...

Parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic is highly challenging, with parents having to meet various demands simultaneously. An increase in adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has been widely predicted, but empirical evidence is still scarce. This study aimed to (1) generate representative data on pandemic-related stress, parental stress, general str...

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Die postpartale Depression (PPD) zählt zu den häufigsten psychischen Erkrankungen in der Postpartalzeit. Unbehandelt kann sie teils folgenschwere Auswirkungen auf die Mutter-Kind-Beziehung und die Entwicklung des Kindes haben. Um mögliche negative Auswirkungen verhindern zu können, sind eine frühzeitige Diagnostik betro...

Verhaltenstherapeutische Gruppentherapie bietet eine sehr gute Ergänzung und Intensivierung der ambulanten Einzeltherapie. Insbesondere Menschen mit chronischen Depressionen profitieren von solchen multimodalen und -professionellen Behandlungsstrategien. Für diese Patientinnen und Patienten wurde das in diesem Manual vorgestellte strukturierte grup...

The COVID-19 pandemic and its preventive measures had adverse consequences for mental health. However, knowledge of mental health trajectories across the pandemic is limited. This study investigated the mental health levels and changes among university students during the pandemic and lockdown in Germany, as well as their associated factors. We sur...

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by high levels of arousal and perceived rejection by others. The temporal relation between these constructs, however, remains largely unclear. Based on predictions derived from the dynamic affect model and the rejection sensitivity model, we expected increases in arousal and perceived rejection...

Background Transdiagnostic treatments target shared mechanisms between disorders to facilitate change across diagnoses. The Unified Protocol (UP) aims at changing dysfunctional reactions towards emotions by increasing mindful emotion awareness and cognitive flexibility, as well as decreasing anxiety sensitivity and emotion avoidance. Method We inv...

The 11th revision of the World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) includes a fundamentally new approach to Personality Disorders (PD). ICD-11 is expected to be implemented first in European countries before other WHO member states. The present paper provides an overview of this new ICD-11 model including PD...

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Die Maßnahmen zur Eindämmung der COVID-19-Pandemie stellten Familien vor Herausforderungen. Es fehlt an Studien, welche die umfassende Vielfalt der subjektiven Erfahrungen abbilden. Fragestellung: Ziel ist, Belastungen, positive Veränderungen und Ressourcen in Familien zu erfassen. Methode: 4 967 Eltern (...

Aberrant emotional processes are evident in various mental disorders. This raises the question of whether specific difficulties in regulating emotions are a driving factor of psychopathology and thus a worthwhile transdiagnostic treatment target. In this Review, we provide an overview of theoretical models of emotion regulation, research on emotion...

Affective dysregulation is a core feature of borderline personality disorder, and some patients also report dissociative symptoms. The present study investigated the temporal relations between arousal and valence dimensions of affect and dissociative states using micro-assessments in daily life. Patients with borderline personality disorder (n = 42...

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by high levels of arousal and perceived rejection by others. The temporal relation between these constructs, however, remains largely unclear. Based on predictions derived from the dynamic affect model and the rejection sensitivity model, we expected increases in arousal and perceived rejection...

Background: Patients with difficult personalities or personality disorders are a special challenge for primary care physicians. Their style of interpersonal interaction is often difficult. As the ICD-11 classification comes into use, a new systematic approach to diagnosis is being introduced that focuses on the patient's functional impairments in e...

Background: Patients with difficult personalities or personality disorders are a special challenge for primary care physicians. Their style of interpersonal interaction is often difficult. As the ICD-11 classification comes into use, a new systematic approach to diagnosis is being introduced that focuses on the patient's functional impairments in...

Background Multiple traumata such as child sexual and/or physical abuse often result in complex psychopathologies and a range of associated dysfunctional behaviors. Although evidence-based interventions exist, some therapists are concerned that trauma-focused psychotherapy with exposure-based elements may lead to the deterioration of associated dys...

Background: This study aims to provide a transparent and replicable documentation approach for the cultural adaptation of a cognitive-behavioural transdiagnostic intervention (Common Elements Treatment Approach, CETA) for Arabic-speaking refugees with common mental disorders in Germany. Method: A mixed-methods approach was used, including litera...

Children of parents with a mental disorder have an increased risk of developing a disorder themselves. Genetic, psychosocial and familial factors play a role as well as the availability and utilization of support systems. Children of parents with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are a particularly high-risk group. In addition to a comparably h...

Trajectories of chronic illnesses depend on patient socioeconomic status (SES). This study examines main and equity effects (age, gender, education, region of residence) of a brief telephone self‐management intervention on self‐rated health and depressive symptoms of health insurance clients with chronic illnesses. Randomized invitation design (n =...

Severe posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are connected to a variety of health-related and interpersonal problems, among them are the insecure attachment orientations. However, psychotherapy seems to improve not only PTSS but also attachment insecurities. In a large multicenter, randomized clinical trial, the attachment characteristics and PTSS o...

The attachment has emerged as a significant predictor of psychotherapy outcome. However, studies on trauma-focused treatments and adolescent samples are sparse. We analyzed the data of 43 adolescents and young adults (aged 14–21 years) with clinically relevant abuse-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who were undergoing developmentally ad...

Emotional problems are a core aspect of most mental disorders and especially prominent in major depression and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Theories propose that deficits in affect regulation underly these affective disturbances. However, it is unclear whether individuals suffering from different mental disorders face similar or distinct...

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Für die Behandlung der Posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung (PTBS) im Jugend- und jungen Erwachsenenalter liegen diverse evidenzbasierte Interventionen (EBIs) vor. Fragestellung: Inwiefern sind EBIs für Jugendliche und junge Erwachsene mit PTBS nach sexualisierter und physischer Gewalt in Deutschland verfü...

Background: ICD-11 features Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) as a new diagnosis. To date, very few studies have investigated CPTSD in young patients, and there is a need for evidence on effective treatment. Objective: The present study evaluates the applicability of developmentally adapted cognitive processing therapy (D-CPT) for CPTSD...

Rejection Sensitivity (RS) is defined as the disposition to anxiously expect, readily perceive, and overreact to social rejection cues. Aim of the two studies presented in this paper was to develop and administer an instrument to assess RS in a German sample of healthy (pre)adolescents as well as in a clinical sample. The English Children’s Rejecti...

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-021-01816-4

To validate the EQ-5D-5L health-related quality of life (HrQoL) questionnaire in adolescents and young adults with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after sexual and/or physical abuse. We used data from a randomized controlled trial of 87 participants with PTSD aged 14–21 years. The discriminative ability was evaluated by comparing participants...

The Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ) is a 15-item short form of the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire. This study aimed to investigate psychometric properties of a German translation of the BEAQ in a student and a clinical population. The BEAQ showed high internal reliability and overall acceptable convergent an...

Guided self-help interventions are effective in treating symptoms of various mental disorders, including depressive, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorders. Research also suggests that these interventions may be effective for refugee populations. However, proportion of drop-out and non-response are substantial, especially in this highly vulner...

We investigated how patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) process an increase in the frequency of social interaction. We used an EEG-compatible version of the online ball-tossing game Cyberball to induce an increase in the frequency of social interaction. In the first condition, each pla...