Human Resource Consultants will fully develop and test a comprehensive hardware/software system to facilitate the conduct of cognitive behavioral treatment for depression. This system, the Adherence Increase & Monitoring System (AIM System), will increase adherence to and effectiveness of an accepted intervention for depression. An expert system based on a microcomputer in the therapist's office will(1) conduct initial assessment and generate individualized behavioral and cognitive menus to be used in ongoing assessment and treatment and(2) provide services to the therapist for examining and recording treatment progress and administrative data. The derived assessment menus will be down-loaded to a hand-held computer (HHC) carried by the patient and employed in the periodic monitoring and modification of behavior, cognition, and mood. During subsequent patient/ therapist appointments, patient-gathered HHC data will be up-loaded to provide graphic output on the therapist's microcomputer. Phase I of this project will be devoted to final development and pilot testing of the AIM System to demonstrate its effectiveness and user friendliness. In Phase II, the AIM System will be tested on a larger sample of depressed patients, and the system will be expanded and tested as a treatment aid for other disorders. The goal of Phase II is to develop a generic assessment treatment adherence monitor expert system for treating both psychological and medical disorders where maladaptive cognitive and behavior patterns are contributing factors. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
