UCSF/ZSFG Internet World Health Research Center/CIELOS

Research Interests

My research interests focus on the range of approaches that could lead to improvements in the delivery, outcomes, and research methods of empirically supported therapies for treatment of mood disorders, especially major depressive disorder. These include the use of alternative methods of treatment delivery, such as information technology, which can offer treatment access to underserved populations, and greater understanding decision-making of depressed individuals, with the goal of improving decision-making both in people’s daily lives and as it relates to decisions regarding treatment.

Education

University of California at Berkeley, B.A., 2001, Psychology
University of Pennsylvania, M.A., 2003, Clinical Psychology
University of Pennsylvania, Ph.D., 2008, Clinical Psychology
VA Palo Alto Health Care System, 2007-2008, Clinical Internship
University of California, San Francisco, 2008-2010, Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Psychology

Positions

2008-2010 Postdoctoral Fellow, Health Psychology, University of California, San Francisco
2010-present Assistant Adjunct Professor, Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
2015-present Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University

Past Research Support

K08MH091501 (PI: Leykin) 08/01/2010-07/31/2015
NIH/ National Institute of Mental Health
Does depression affect quality of decisions to participate in clinical trials?
SRG-0-059-11 (PI: Leykin ) 10/01/2012-09/31/2014
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Multilingual Assessment of Suicidal Ideation and Behavior on the Internet
R34 MH091231 (PI: Muñoz) 7/20/2010 – 4/30/2013
National Institute of Mental Health
Internet Intervention to Prevent Major Depressive Episodes

Selected Publications (in chronological order)

• Leykin, Y., Amsterdam, J. D., DeRubeis, R. J., Gallop, R., Shelton, R. C., & Hollon, S. D. (2007). Progressive resistance to SSRI therapy but not to cognitive therapy in the treatment of moderate to severe major depressive episode. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75, 267-76.
• Leykin, Y., DeRubeis, R. J., Gallop, R, Amsterdam, J. D., Shelton, R. C., & Hollon, S. D. (2007). The relation of patients’ treatment preferences to outcome in a randomized clinical trial. Behavior Therapy, 38, 209-217.
• Leykin, Y., DeRubeis, R. J., Shelton, R. C., & Amsterdam, J. D. (2007). Changes in patients’ beliefs about the causes of their depression following successful treatment. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 31, 437-449.
• Leykin, Y. & DeRubeis, R. J. (2009). Allegiance in psychotherapy outcome research: Separating association from bias. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 18, 54-65.
• Leykin, Y., Barrera, A. Z., & Muñoz, R., F. (2009). One more tool for smoking cessation: Internet-based interventions. In M. A. Cucciare & K, R. Weingardt (Eds.) Using Technology to Support Evidence-Based Behavioral Health Practices: A Clinician’s Guide.Routledge: New York, NY.
• Leykin, Y. & DeRubeis, R. J. (2010). Decision-making styles and depressive symptomatology. Judgment and Decision Making, 5, 506-515.
• Muñoz, R. F., Cuijpers, P., Smit, P. Barrera, A. Z., & Leykin, Y. (2010). Prevention of major depression. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 6, 181-212.
• Leykin, Y., Roberts, C. S., & DeRubeis, R. J. (2011). Decision-making and depressive symptomatology. Cognitive Therapy & Research, 35, 333-341
• Leykin, Y., Aguilera, A., Torres, L. D., & Muñoz, R. F. (2011). Factor structure of CES-D delivered on the Internet in Spanish and English. Psychiatry Research, 185, 269-274
• Leykin, Y., Weingardt, K, R. & Cucciare, M. A. (2011). Differential effects of online training on job-related burnout among substance abuse counselors. Journal of Substance Use, 16, 127-135.
• Leykin, Y., Christopher, P. P. Holtzheimer, P. E., Appelbaum, P. S., Mayberg, H. S., Lisanby, S. H., & Dunn, L. B. (2011). Participants’ perceptions of deep brain stimulation research for treatment-resistant depression: Risks, benefits, and therapeutic misconception. AJOB Primary Research. 2, 33-41.
• Leykin, Y., Muñoz, R. F. & Contreras, O. (2012). Are consumers of Internet health information “cyberchondriacs”? Characteristics of 24,965 users of a depression screening site. Depression and Anxiety, 29, 71-77.
• Muñoz, R. F., Beardsley, W. R., & Leykin, Y. (2012). Major depression can be prevented. American Psychologist, 67, 285-292.
• Leykin, Y., Aguilera, A., Torres, L. D., Pérez-Stable, E. J., & Muñoz, R. F. (2012). Interpreting the outcomes of automated Internet-based trials: Example of an international smoking cessation study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 14, e5.
• Leykin, Y., Thekdi, S. M., Shumay, D. M., Muñoz, R. F., Riba, M., & Dunn, L. B. (2012). Internet interventions for improving psychological well-being in psycho-oncology: Review and recommendations. Psycho-Oncology. 21, 1016-25. PMID: 21608075
• Leykin, Y., Aguilera, A., Pérez-Stable, E. J., & Muñoz, R. F. (2013). Prompting depression treatment seeking among smokers: A comparison of participants from six countries in an internet stop smoking RCT. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 31, 238-247.
• Gross, M. S., Liu, N. H., Muñoz, R. F., Contreras, O., & Leykin, Y. (2014). Using Google AdWords for international multilingual recruitment to health research websites. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16, e18. PMID: 24446166
• Gill, S., Contreras, O., Muñoz, R. F., & Leykin, Y. (2014). Participant retention in an automated online monthly depression rescreening program: patterns and predictors. Internet Interventions, 1, 20-25. PMID: 25045623
• Leykin, Y., Muñoz, R. F., Contreras, O., Latham, M. D. (2014). Results from a trial of an unsupported internet intervention for depressive symptoms. Internet Interventions, 1, 175-181.
• Liu, N. H., Contreras, O., Muñoz, R. F., & Leykin, Y. (2014). Assessing suicide attempts and depression among Chinese speakers over the internet. Crisis. 35, 322-329. PMID: 25115490
• Rutter, T. M., Gross, M. S., Barakat, S., Dilley, J. W., Muñoz, R. F., & Leykin, Y. (2016). Sexual orientation and help-seeking for symptoms of depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 206, 87-93.
• Elefant, A., Contreras, O., Bunge, E. L., Muñoz, R. F., Leykin, Y. (2017). Micro-interventions produce immediate, but not lasting benefits in mood and distress. Internet Interventions, 10, 10-14.
• Leykin, Y., Dunn, L. B., Muñoz, R. F. (2017). The effect of depression on the decision to join a clinical trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 85, 751-756.
• Gill. S. K., Muñoz, R. F., Leykin, Y. (2018). The influence of perceived stress and depression on suicide-related beliefs in Caucasian and Indian adults. Crisis, 39, 127-136.
• Naushad, N., Dunn, L. B., Muñoz, R. F., Leykin, Y. (2018). Depression increases subjective stigma of chronic pain. Journal of Affective Disorders, 229, 456-462.