*POSTPONED* - Harnessing Mental Imagery and Enhancing Memory Specificity: Developing a Brief Early Intervention for Adolescent Depression

Depression rates increase in adolescence, with many new cases emerging at this juncture. When depression begins in adolescence, rather than adulthood, it is associated with more recurrences and an increased risk of chronicity. The long-lasting and severe outcomes associated with adolescent depression might be prevented through intervening earlier. However, current psychological interventions are difficult to access and show limited evidence of effectiveness. Research suggests that dysfunctional mental imagery and overgeneral memory could be promising intervention targets. We have developed a novel imagery-based cognitive behavioural intervention (ICBI) to target these mechanisms. In this talk, I will describe the development of the intervention as well as the evaluation of it in a case series and feasibility randomised controlled trial.