Timothy E. Petersen, PhD

Director of Psychotherapy Research
Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital
Clinical Instructor in Psychology, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Timothy Petersen earned a BS in Psychology at Tufts University and a PhD in Clinical Psychology at Nova Southeastern University. Prior to joining the Depression Clinical and Research Program (DCRP) in 1999, Dr. Petersen completed a postdoctoral fellowship in psychopharmacology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, where he worked on several clinical research trials involving the use of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy.

Since joining the DCRP, Dr. Petersen has received grant funding for several important research initiatives, authored or co-authored over 40 original research articles, and presented his research findings at national and international meetings. One of his research projects, which was funded through a National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD) Young Investigator Award, examined the relationship between maternal depressive subtypes and the emotional and behavioral characteristics of their offspring. Results of this study will help shape the focus of primary and early intervention programs for children who are at significant risk for the development of major depressive disorder.

Dr. Petersen also serves as a cognitive behavioral therapist and project director for the large, multi-center Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) project, which studies the effectiveness of various treatment options for treatment-resistant depression among 4,000 primary and specialty care patients. This National Institute of Mental Health-sponsored study represents the largest clinical research trial ever conducted in depression, and its findings will vastly enrich the field's knowledge of the use of psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments.

During his five years with the DCRP, Dr. Petersen has also helped pioneer the development and use of Well Being Therapy (WBT). WBT is a modified form of cognitive-behavioral therapy and, for patients who have responded to antidepressant treatments, is utilized to treat residual depressive symptoms and enhance well being. Preliminary trials suggest a better long-term prognosis for those patients receiving WBT.

Recently, Dr. Petersen also received funding from The JED Foundation to conduct a multi-site study to assess the prevalence of suicide risk factors in college students and to implement a treatment program for those students deemed at high risk. The growing recognition that college students are at great risk for the development of depression makes this project very timely, and its results will hopefully lead to the widespread use of such assessment and treatment techniques by colleges and universities.