In Singapore, researchers are testing whether healing old wounds can prevent future depression
Researchers in Singapore have launched a first-of-its-kind study to determine whether a therapy originally designed for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can help stop major depression before it develops, particularly in adults who experienced adversity in childhood.
The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) is adapting an established PTSD treatment, known as Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), into an online early-intervention programme called i-STAIR. The trial will run from November 2025 to November 2028 and aims to recruit 150 adults aged 21 to 65 who have a history of emotional neglect, abuse, parental loss, or other childhood trauma, and who currently show mild depressive symptoms.
Dr Liu Jianlin, the study’s lead researcher and a research fellow at IMH, said childhood adversity continues to shape a person’s emotional and social development well into adulthood. “Trauma impacts how we relate to others, the way we trust, the way we see ourselves,” she said. “Experiencing very strong emotions at a young age may also impact how we respond later in life,” Straits Times quotes.
The modified i-STAIR programme focuses on strengthening two key skills often disrupted by early trauma: emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships. Participants will undergo weekly one-hour sessions for eight months, learning techniques to manage overwhelming emotions and build healthier patterns of communication.
Many adults experiencing what clinicians call subsyndromal depression (SSD), a milder form of depression that affects daily life without meeting full diagnostic criteria, never seek treatment. Yet research shows that around 17% of those with SSD progress to major depressive disorder (MDD). Those with adverse childhood experiences are three times more likely to develop mood or anxiety disorders.
Singapore has no official statistics on SSD because it often goes undiagnosed, making prevention efforts difficult.
Disclaimer: The image used in this article is AI-generated
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
