Dr. Tara Donker

Research and Work Focuses

• Early intervention and prevention of depression, anxiety and suicide, based on innovative technologies such as virtual reality and mobile apps to make mental health care more accessible and scalable.
• Effectiveness and user-friendliness of ZeroPhobia: a low-cost mobile app using virtual reality or augmented reality for specific phobias such as acrophobia, aviophobia, arachnophobia.
• Mechanisms of treatment

Selected Publications

• Donker, T.; Klaveren, C.; Cornelisz, I.; Kok, R.N.; van Gelder, J.-L.
  Analysis of Usage Data from a Self-Guided App-Based Virtual Reality Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Acrophobia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
  J. Clin. Med. 2020, 9, 1614.
• van Klaveren, C.; Cuijpers, P., Donker, T, Cornelisz, I. (2020).
  Addressing Missing Data in Randomized Clinical Trials: A Causal Inference Perspective.
  PLOS ONE (accepted for publication)
• Smoktunowicz, E., Barak, A., Andersson, G., Banos, R. M., Berger, T., Botella, C., Dear, B. F., Donker, T., Ebert, D. D., Hadjistavropoulos, H., Hodgins, D. C., Kaldo, V., Mohr, D. C., Nordgreen, T., Powers, M. B., Riper, H., Ritterband, L. M., Rozental, A., Schueller, S. M., Titov, N., Weise, C., & Carlbring, P. (2020).
  Consensus statement on the problem of terminology in psychological interventions using the internet or digital components.
  Internet Interventions, 100331. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214782920300130. doi:10.1016/j.invent.2020.100331
• Donker, T., Cornelisz, I., van Klaveren, C., van Straten, A., Carlbring, P., Cuijpers, P. (2019).
  Self-guided App-based Virtual reality cognitive behaviour therapy for acrophobia: a randomized controlled trial.
  JAMA Psychiatry. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0219.
• Van Gelder, J.L., de Vries, R.E., Demetriou, A., van Sintemaartensdijk I., Donker, T. (2019).
  The virtual reality scenario method: moving from imagination to immersion in criminal decision making research.
  Journal of Research in crime and delinquency. doi.org/10.1177/0022427818819696
• Cuijpers, P., Donker, T., Weissman, M., Ravitz, P., Cristea, I. (2016).
  Interpersonal Psychotherapy for mental health problems. A meta-analysis.
  American Journal of Psychiatry, 173 (7), 680-7.
• Donker, T., Blankers, M., Hedman, E., Ljotsson, B., Petrie, K., Christensen, H. (2015).
  Economic evaluations of Internet Interventions: a systematic review.
  Psychological Medicine, 45(16):3357-76.
• Donker, T., Petrie, K., Proudfoot, J., Clarke, J., Birch, M.J., Christensen, H. (2013):
  Smartphones for smarter delivery of mental health programs: A Systematic Review.
  Journal of Medical Internet Research, 15(11), e247.
• Donker, T., Batterham, P., Warmerdam, E.H., Griffiths, K., Bennet, K., Bennet, A., Cuijpers, P., Christensen, H. (2013):
  Predictors and Moderators of response to internet-delivered Interpersonal Psychotherapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for depression.
  Journal of Affective Disorders. 151 (1): 343-51.
• Donker, T., Bennet, K., Bennet, A., Mackinnon, A., Cuijpers, P., van Straten, A., Christensen, H., Griffiths, K. (2013):
  Internet-delivered interpersonal therapy versus internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for adults with depressive symptoms: a randomized-controlled non-inferiority trial.
  Journal of Medical Internet Research,15(5):e82.
• Cuijpers, P., Donker, T., Johansson, R., Mohr, D.C., Van Straten, A., Andersson, G. (2011).
  Self-guided psychological treatment for depressive symptoms: A meta-analysis.
  PloS One, 6 (6), e21274
• Cuijpers, P., Donker, T., van Straten, A., Yuan, L., Andersson, G.(2010):
  Is guided self-help as effective as face-to-face psychotherapy for depression and anxiety disorders? A systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative outcome studies.
  Psychological Medicine, 40 (12), 1943-57.
• Donker, T., Griffiths, K.M., Cuijpers, P., Christensen, H. (2009):
  Psychoeducation for depression and anxiety: a meta-analysis.
  BMC Medicine, 7 (1):79.

 Book Chapters

• Donker, T. (2016).
  Mental Health Screening.
  In Wenzel, A. (Eds), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Abnormal and Clinical Psychology (1st edition; p. 2148), California, CA: SAGE Publications.
• Donker, T., Blankers, M., Riper, H. (2016).
  E-mental health bij depressie.
  In: Schene, A., et al (Eds.), Handboek depressieve stoornissen. Utrecht, The Netherlands: De Tijdstroom.
• Donker, T., Cuijpers, P., Stanley, D., Danahar, B. (2016).
  The Future of Perinatal Depression Identification – can information technology optimize effectiveness?
  In: Gemmill, A. and Millgrom, J. (Eds.), Identifying Perinatal Depression and Anxiety: Evidence-based Practice in Screening, Psychosocial Assessment and Management. Melbourne, Australia: Wiley.
• Blankers, M., Donker, T., Schalken, F., Riper, H. (2013).
  In: Schalken, F. (Eds.), Online Hulpverlening. Houten, The Netherlands: Bohn Stafleu van Loghum.
• Donker, T., van Straten, A., Cuijpers, P. (2010):
  Internet-based mental health screening and assessment.
  In J. Bennett-Levy et al. (Eds.), Oxford Guide to low CBT interventions. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Inc.