Alleviation of performance deficits of depression through thermal biofeedback training

Explored thermal biofeedback as a method of reducing performance deficits associated with depression. A depressed and nondepressed control group and a depressed group given pretreatment with biofeedback were (N = 30) compared on their performance on an escape/avoidance task. As predicted by the learned helplessness model of depression, depressed controls showed significantly poorer performance than both other groups. The depressed biofeedback and nondepressed control groups did not differ from one another. Implications for alleviation of depression are discussed.