Constantin Yves Plessen
@cyplessen.bsky.social
Psychologist & psychometrician exploring researcher degrees of freedom in meta-analyses & psychometrics at University of Graz.
Pinned
New preprint 📄
How many psychotherapists does Austria need?
This one is special to me beyond the topic: it’s an update of the very first paper I ever wrote, almost a decade ago.
And I’ve always wanted to open a paper with a joke — this time I finally did. Let’s see if it survives peer review.
How many psychotherapists does Austria need?
This one is special to me beyond the topic: it’s an update of the very first paper I ever wrote, almost a decade ago.
And I’ve always wanted to open a paper with a joke — this time I finally did. Let’s see if it survives peer review.
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
🧵 New WP with @kaimiele.bsky.social. We document 2 unsettling patterns in mental health care: 1) despite universal coverage, few individuals with mental illness receive guideline-consistent treatment, and 2) the more severe the illness, the lower the treatment uptake & the longer the wait times. 1/n
February 5, 2026 at 8:35 AM
🧵 New WP with @kaimiele.bsky.social. We document 2 unsettling patterns in mental health care: 1) despite universal coverage, few individuals with mental illness receive guideline-consistent treatment, and 2) the more severe the illness, the lower the treatment uptake & the longer the wait times. 1/n
Want to feel sad and hopeful at once? What´s needed beyond Open Science?
"All of the ingredients for low quality occurring at some non-negligible rate seem to already be in place"—the nicest way I've ever heard someone say a terrible true thing.
What a great pitch for forensic meta-science ✌️
"All of the ingredients for low quality occurring at some non-negligible rate seem to already be in place"—the nicest way I've ever heard someone say a terrible true thing.
What a great pitch for forensic meta-science ✌️
📽️ "Taboo topics we can no longer avoid: negligence, tampering, and fraud" / with Ian Hussey @ianhussey.mmmdata.io
youtu.be/sdRRafephyM?...
The event was organised by ReproducibiliTea UniBasel @swissrn.bsky.social
youtu.be/sdRRafephyM?...
The event was organised by ReproducibiliTea UniBasel @swissrn.bsky.social
Open Science Basel Year 6 #4 - Ian Hussey
YouTube video by BAMM
youtu.be
January 15, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Want to feel sad and hopeful at once? What´s needed beyond Open Science?
"All of the ingredients for low quality occurring at some non-negligible rate seem to already be in place"—the nicest way I've ever heard someone say a terrible true thing.
What a great pitch for forensic meta-science ✌️
"All of the ingredients for low quality occurring at some non-negligible rate seem to already be in place"—the nicest way I've ever heard someone say a terrible true thing.
What a great pitch for forensic meta-science ✌️
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
"The rewards to 'discovering' a spectacular scientific finding [in psychology] are large; the rewards to debunking frauds or deflating exaggerated claims are small if not non-existent. If these are the rules of the game, we should not be surprised at the way the game is played."
When psychologists mislead us
From Piltdown Man to the Stanford prison experiment, many famous scientific discoveries have been exposed as hoaxes or distortions
www.ft.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:51 PM
"The rewards to 'discovering' a spectacular scientific finding [in psychology] are large; the rewards to debunking frauds or deflating exaggerated claims are small if not non-existent. If these are the rules of the game, we should not be surprised at the way the game is played."
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
Many innovations of psychotherapies are currently examined. See our overview in the last issue of World Psychiatry: (1) Digital interventions (2) Personalized treatments (3) New/ improved therapies (4) Dissemination
With @mathiasharrer.bsky.social @toshi-frkw.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1002/wps....
With @mathiasharrer.bsky.social @toshi-frkw.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1002/wps....
Innovations to improve outcomes and uptake of psychotherapies for mental disorders: a state‐of‐the‐art review
Psychotherapies have been found effective in the treatment of most mental disorders. However, substantial improvements are still much needed, and many innovations of therapies are currently being dev...
doi.org
January 15, 2026 at 1:29 PM
Many innovations of psychotherapies are currently examined. See our overview in the last issue of World Psychiatry: (1) Digital interventions (2) Personalized treatments (3) New/ improved therapies (4) Dissemination
With @mathiasharrer.bsky.social @toshi-frkw.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1002/wps....
With @mathiasharrer.bsky.social @toshi-frkw.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1002/wps....
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
📽️ "Taboo topics we can no longer avoid: negligence, tampering, and fraud" / with Ian Hussey @ianhussey.mmmdata.io
youtu.be/sdRRafephyM?...
The event was organised by ReproducibiliTea UniBasel @swissrn.bsky.social
youtu.be/sdRRafephyM?...
The event was organised by ReproducibiliTea UniBasel @swissrn.bsky.social
Open Science Basel Year 6 #4 - Ian Hussey
YouTube video by BAMM
youtu.be
January 15, 2026 at 9:44 AM
📽️ "Taboo topics we can no longer avoid: negligence, tampering, and fraud" / with Ian Hussey @ianhussey.mmmdata.io
youtu.be/sdRRafephyM?...
The event was organised by ReproducibiliTea UniBasel @swissrn.bsky.social
youtu.be/sdRRafephyM?...
The event was organised by ReproducibiliTea UniBasel @swissrn.bsky.social
New preprint 📄
How many psychotherapists does Austria need?
This one is special to me beyond the topic: it’s an update of the very first paper I ever wrote, almost a decade ago.
And I’ve always wanted to open a paper with a joke — this time I finally did. Let’s see if it survives peer review.
How many psychotherapists does Austria need?
This one is special to me beyond the topic: it’s an update of the very first paper I ever wrote, almost a decade ago.
And I’ve always wanted to open a paper with a joke — this time I finally did. Let’s see if it survives peer review.
January 15, 2026 at 9:14 AM
New preprint 📄
How many psychotherapists does Austria need?
This one is special to me beyond the topic: it’s an update of the very first paper I ever wrote, almost a decade ago.
And I’ve always wanted to open a paper with a joke — this time I finally did. Let’s see if it survives peer review.
How many psychotherapists does Austria need?
This one is special to me beyond the topic: it’s an update of the very first paper I ever wrote, almost a decade ago.
And I’ve always wanted to open a paper with a joke — this time I finally did. Let’s see if it survives peer review.
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
After 5 years of data collection, our WARN-D machine learning competition to forecast depression onset is now LIVE! We hope many of you will participate—we have incredibly rich data.
If you share a single thing of my lab this year, please make it this competition.
eiko-fried.com/warn-d-machi...
If you share a single thing of my lab this year, please make it this competition.
eiko-fried.com/warn-d-machi...
WARN-D machine learning competition is live » Eiko Fried
If you share one single thing of our team in 2026—on social media or per email with your colleagues—please let it be this machine learning competition. It was half a decade of work to get here, especi...
eiko-fried.com
January 7, 2026 at 7:39 PM
After 5 years of data collection, our WARN-D machine learning competition to forecast depression onset is now LIVE! We hope many of you will participate—we have incredibly rich data.
If you share a single thing of my lab this year, please make it this competition.
eiko-fried.com/warn-d-machi...
If you share a single thing of my lab this year, please make it this competition.
eiko-fried.com/warn-d-machi...
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
Fifteen of those twenty years were spent writing unsuccessful grant applications.
You can tell that LotR was written by an academic because Gandalf disappears for like 20 years doing research to answer a single question.
December 26, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Fifteen of those twenty years were spent writing unsuccessful grant applications.
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
"(...) observed changes in PHQ-9 scores over treatment weeks may, at least partly, reflect shifts in how participants engage with the scale rather than true changes in depressive symptomatology." link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Why are we still using the PHQ-9? A Historical Review and Psychometric Evaluation of Measurement Invariance - Psychiatric Quarterly
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a widely used tool for assessing depressive symptom severity and as a screening tool in the diagnosis of major depression. Designed as both a diagnostic i...
link.springer.com
December 14, 2025 at 9:59 PM
"(...) observed changes in PHQ-9 scores over treatment weeks may, at least partly, reflect shifts in how participants engage with the scale rather than true changes in depressive symptomatology." link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
What are some articles, blogposts, essays, etc. that you still think about over a year later?
Here are a few of mine:
Here are a few of mine:
April 19, 2025 at 11:44 AM
What are some articles, blogposts, essays, etc. that you still think about over a year later?
Here are a few of mine:
Here are a few of mine:
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
Yes, I am one of those horrible people who submit during the season. New preprint, 1st paper from my #ERCStG DECOMPOSE
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
The goals of DECOMPOSE are break-down psychological interventions into components, integrate these in a taxonomy and evaluate incremental efficacy
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
The goals of DECOMPOSE are break-down psychological interventions into components, integrate these in a taxonomy and evaluate incremental efficacy
Accessibility and public availability of treatment protocols and manuals for evidence-based psychological interventions for severe mental disorders: A survey of randomized trials
Background: Psychological interventions are developed and tested as packages of multiple components. Identifying active ingredients requires access to detailed intervention descriptions, such as from ...
www.medrxiv.org
December 30, 2024 at 8:29 AM
Yes, I am one of those horrible people who submit during the season. New preprint, 1st paper from my #ERCStG DECOMPOSE
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
The goals of DECOMPOSE are break-down psychological interventions into components, integrate these in a taxonomy and evaluate incremental efficacy
www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...
The goals of DECOMPOSE are break-down psychological interventions into components, integrate these in a taxonomy and evaluate incremental efficacy
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
I am seeing this paper cited everywhere, @sciencenews.bsky.social @naturenews.bsky.social conferences, soon policy papers
osf.io/5rf2m/
First, what is the method of this paper? Systematic review? Scoping review? Overview of reviews? Narrative review? Or none was adequate?
osf.io/5rf2m/
First, what is the method of this paper? Systematic review? Scoping review? Overview of reviews? Narrative review? Or none was adequate?
HOW MUCH SCIENCE IS FAKE?
Hosted on the Open Science Framework
osf.io
December 28, 2024 at 10:37 AM
I am seeing this paper cited everywhere, @sciencenews.bsky.social @naturenews.bsky.social conferences, soon policy papers
osf.io/5rf2m/
First, what is the method of this paper? Systematic review? Scoping review? Overview of reviews? Narrative review? Or none was adequate?
osf.io/5rf2m/
First, what is the method of this paper? Systematic review? Scoping review? Overview of reviews? Narrative review? Or none was adequate?
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
JBI, Cochrane and Campbell Collaboration are partnering to co-facilitate an initiative, Building a Global Evidence Synthesis Community. We are calling for expressions of interest to join us as we seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a global step change in #EvidenceSynthesis synthesis. 🧵1/
December 12, 2024 at 8:42 AM
JBI, Cochrane and Campbell Collaboration are partnering to co-facilitate an initiative, Building a Global Evidence Synthesis Community. We are calling for expressions of interest to join us as we seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a global step change in #EvidenceSynthesis synthesis. 🧵1/
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
Stigmatising and inaccurate portrayals of mental disorders:
Researchers asked generative AI models to depict different disorders.
Images reflected historical biases & pop-culture references rather than evidence-based clinical representation of these conditions
mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/27/1...
Researchers asked generative AI models to depict different disorders.
Images reflected historical biases & pop-culture references rather than evidence-based clinical representation of these conditions
mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/27/1...
December 5, 2024 at 11:10 AM
Stigmatising and inaccurate portrayals of mental disorders:
Researchers asked generative AI models to depict different disorders.
Images reflected historical biases & pop-culture references rather than evidence-based clinical representation of these conditions
mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/27/1...
Researchers asked generative AI models to depict different disorders.
Images reflected historical biases & pop-culture references rather than evidence-based clinical representation of these conditions
mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/27/1...
Starting my job search: I just finished my PhD in Clinical Psychology and am looking for opportunities to make an impact.
I have expertise in meta-analyses, advanced stats, psychometrics, R, and project management.
If you know of a position that might be a great fit, please feel free to reach out.
I have expertise in meta-analyses, advanced stats, psychometrics, R, and project management.
If you know of a position that might be a great fit, please feel free to reach out.
Constantin Yves Plessen
constantinyvesplessen.com
December 3, 2024 at 9:55 AM
Starting my job search: I just finished my PhD in Clinical Psychology and am looking for opportunities to make an impact.
I have expertise in meta-analyses, advanced stats, psychometrics, R, and project management.
If you know of a position that might be a great fit, please feel free to reach out.
I have expertise in meta-analyses, advanced stats, psychometrics, R, and project management.
If you know of a position that might be a great fit, please feel free to reach out.
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
Do a DAG Before You Do a Specification Curve Analysis #CausalSky #Stats
replicationnetwork.com/2024/11/18/r... With an example of reducing >1,200 specifications to 6. Computational power should not replace theoretical thinking and model building. 1/
replicationnetwork.com/2024/11/18/r... With an example of reducing >1,200 specifications to 6. Computational power should not replace theoretical thinking and model building. 1/
REED: Do a DAG Before You Do a Specification Curve Analysis
My previous two blogs focused on how to do a specification curve analysis (SCA) using the R package “specr” (here) and the Stata program “speccurve” (here). Both blogs provided line-by-line explana…
replicationnetwork.com
November 25, 2024 at 3:27 PM
Do a DAG Before You Do a Specification Curve Analysis #CausalSky #Stats
replicationnetwork.com/2024/11/18/r... With an example of reducing >1,200 specifications to 6. Computational power should not replace theoretical thinking and model building. 1/
replicationnetwork.com/2024/11/18/r... With an example of reducing >1,200 specifications to 6. Computational power should not replace theoretical thinking and model building. 1/
TIL blue zones of longevity are not real:
“Newman’s main argument is that a significant proportion of supposed centenarians may simply not exist. His research shows that around 1900, when the U.S. started to issue birth certificates, the number of centenarians aged 110 or older dropped sharply…”
“Newman’s main argument is that a significant proportion of supposed centenarians may simply not exist. His research shows that around 1900, when the U.S. started to issue birth certificates, the number of centenarians aged 110 or older dropped sharply…”
There's really no such things as "blue zones" for longevity
www.science.org/content/arti... open-access
www.science.org/content/arti... open-access
Do ‘blue zones,’ supposed havens of longevity, rest on shaky science?
Critics say extraordinary life spans reflect faulty record keeping, not healthy lifestyles
www.science.org
November 24, 2024 at 9:03 PM
TIL blue zones of longevity are not real:
“Newman’s main argument is that a significant proportion of supposed centenarians may simply not exist. His research shows that around 1900, when the U.S. started to issue birth certificates, the number of centenarians aged 110 or older dropped sharply…”
“Newman’s main argument is that a significant proportion of supposed centenarians may simply not exist. His research shows that around 1900, when the U.S. started to issue birth certificates, the number of centenarians aged 110 or older dropped sharply…”
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
Just wanted to let everyone know that the one and only Pim Cuijpers and Toshi Furukawa are now on Bluesky as well! :)
@pimcuijpers.bsky.social
@toshi-frkw.bsky.social
#PsychSciSky #psychiatry #statssky #psychsky
@pimcuijpers.bsky.social
@toshi-frkw.bsky.social
#PsychSciSky #psychiatry #statssky #psychsky
November 22, 2024 at 1:23 PM
Just wanted to let everyone know that the one and only Pim Cuijpers and Toshi Furukawa are now on Bluesky as well! :)
@pimcuijpers.bsky.social
@toshi-frkw.bsky.social
#PsychSciSky #psychiatry #statssky #psychsky
@pimcuijpers.bsky.social
@toshi-frkw.bsky.social
#PsychSciSky #psychiatry #statssky #psychsky
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
Updated -largely no exhaustive- list : go.bsky.app/R8RNJgc
Please reply to be added.
Please reply to be added.
November 22, 2024 at 7:25 AM
Updated -largely no exhaustive- list : go.bsky.app/R8RNJgc
Please reply to be added.
Please reply to be added.
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
A largely non exhaustive pack for meta research and open science. Please circulate it ;)
go.bsky.app/R8RNJgc
go.bsky.app/R8RNJgc
November 21, 2024 at 9:26 PM
A largely non exhaustive pack for meta research and open science. Please circulate it ;)
go.bsky.app/R8RNJgc
go.bsky.app/R8RNJgc
Spoiler: Incredibly sad and weirdly funny:
“The optimistic point is, in the long arc of things, we’ll self-correct, even if we have no incentive to retract or take responsibility.”
“Do you believe that?” I asked.
“On my optimistic days, I believe it.”
“Is today an optimistic day?”
“Not really.”
“The optimistic point is, in the long arc of things, we’ll self-correct, even if we have no incentive to retract or take responsibility.”
“Do you believe that?” I asked.
“On my optimistic days, I believe it.”
“Is today an optimistic day?”
“Not really.”
In 2023, Harvard Business School suspended a star professor over charges of research misconduct.
As it happens, one of her papers also had funny data from a *different* B-school superstar -- a "mad, fraudulent unicorn,” per @jamesheathers.bsky.social... (1/3)
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
As it happens, one of her papers also had funny data from a *different* B-school superstar -- a "mad, fraudulent unicorn,” per @jamesheathers.bsky.social... (1/3)
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
The Fraudulent Science of Success
Business schools are in the grips of a scandal that threatens to undermine their most influential research—and the credibility of an entire field.
www.theatlantic.com
November 20, 2024 at 9:21 AM
Spoiler: Incredibly sad and weirdly funny:
“The optimistic point is, in the long arc of things, we’ll self-correct, even if we have no incentive to retract or take responsibility.”
“Do you believe that?” I asked.
“On my optimistic days, I believe it.”
“Is today an optimistic day?”
“Not really.”
“The optimistic point is, in the long arc of things, we’ll self-correct, even if we have no incentive to retract or take responsibility.”
“Do you believe that?” I asked.
“On my optimistic days, I believe it.”
“Is today an optimistic day?”
“Not really.”
Are digital interventions for depression effective?
We ran 3,638 meta-analyses on 125 RCTs (32,733 participants) to find out.
Effect sizes ranged from small to medium (Hedges’ g = 0.16–0.74), with guided interventions & LMICs showing greater benefits.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
We ran 3,638 meta-analyses on 125 RCTs (32,733 participants) to find out.
Effect sizes ranged from small to medium (Hedges’ g = 0.16–0.74), with guided interventions & LMICs showing greater benefits.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Digital mental health interventions for the treatment of depression: A multiverse meta-analysis
The varying sizes of effects in published meta-analyses on digital interventions for depression prompt questions about their efficacy.A systematic sea…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 19, 2024 at 11:50 AM
Are digital interventions for depression effective?
We ran 3,638 meta-analyses on 125 RCTs (32,733 participants) to find out.
Effect sizes ranged from small to medium (Hedges’ g = 0.16–0.74), with guided interventions & LMICs showing greater benefits.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
We ran 3,638 meta-analyses on 125 RCTs (32,733 participants) to find out.
Effect sizes ranged from small to medium (Hedges’ g = 0.16–0.74), with guided interventions & LMICs showing greater benefits.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
Blog on our new JoPACS viewpoint led by @molthof.bsky.social, highlighting problems of ignoring socio-environmental causes for psychopathology, using the example of the p-factor for which all dominant theories position liability *within* the person.
eiko-fried.com/causes-of-me...
eiko-fried.com/causes-of-me...
Are causes of mental disorders in the person or in the environment? » Eiko Fried
Brief summary of our new paper on the personal-internal reification of p-factor causes with Merlijn Olthof and Anna Lichtwarck-Aschoff
eiko-fried.com
November 19, 2024 at 10:40 AM
Blog on our new JoPACS viewpoint led by @molthof.bsky.social, highlighting problems of ignoring socio-environmental causes for psychopathology, using the example of the p-factor for which all dominant theories position liability *within* the person.
eiko-fried.com/causes-of-me...
eiko-fried.com/causes-of-me...
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
Disease prevalence in US states before & after vaccine introduction
Graphic from Edward Tufte
More graphics.wsj.com/infectious-d... 🧪
Graphic from Edward Tufte
More graphics.wsj.com/infectious-d... 🧪
November 15, 2024 at 5:00 AM
Disease prevalence in US states before & after vaccine introduction
Graphic from Edward Tufte
More graphics.wsj.com/infectious-d... 🧪
Graphic from Edward Tufte
More graphics.wsj.com/infectious-d... 🧪
Reposted by Constantin Yves Plessen
Are there any Meta-Science / Open Science starter packs? Maybe @forrt.bsky.social or @psysciacc.bsky.social know?
November 17, 2024 at 9:37 PM
Are there any Meta-Science / Open Science starter packs? Maybe @forrt.bsky.social or @psysciacc.bsky.social know?