One in five people will go through a depressive episodes during life. During a depressive episode, people often feel sad (e.g. empty or hopeless), or they have less interest or pleasure in activities. Professionals usually call this a depressive disorder when this feeling continues for at least two weeks, in combination with several other symptoms including fatigue, disturbed sleep, concentration problems, or suicidal thoughts.
Some of these characteristics can remain present after recovery from a depression, called residual symptoms. This is then called partial recovered depression. Partially recovered depressed patients are at risk for a depressive relapse. The optimal treatment for partial recovery is yet unknown. A potential effective strategy to achieve full recovery and reduce the risk of relapse is investigated in the HERSTEL-study. This strategy combines a relapse prevention training with serious games to train your brain. I am one of the co-supervisors, a postdoc researcher, and clinician in this project.