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Improving Adherence and Clinical Outcomes in Self-Guided Internet Treatment for Anxiety and Depression: Randomised Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are common, disabling and chronic. Self-guided internet-delivered treatments are popular, but few people complete them. New strategies are required to realise their potential. AIMS: To evaluate the effect of automated emails on the effectiveness, safety, and accept...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Titov, Nickolai, Dear, Blake F., Johnston, Luke, Lorian, Carolyn, Zou, Judy, Wootton, Bethany, Spence, Jay, McEvoy, Peter M., Rapee, Ronald M.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Public Library of Science 2013
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3701078/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23843932
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0062873
Descripción
Sumario:BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are common, disabling and chronic. Self-guided internet-delivered treatments are popular, but few people complete them. New strategies are required to realise their potential. AIMS: To evaluate the effect of automated emails on the effectiveness, safety, and acceptability of a new automated transdiagnostic self-guided internet-delivered treatment, the Wellbeing Course, for people with depression and anxiety. METHOD: A randomised controlled trial was conducted through the website: www.ecentreclinic.org. Two hundred and fifty seven people with elevated symptoms were randomly allocated to the 8 week course either with or without automated emails, or to a waitlist control group. Primary outcome measures were the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-Item (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7). RESULTS: Participants in the treatment groups had lower PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores at post-treatment than controls. Automated emails increased rates of course completion (58% vs. 35%), and improved outcomes in a subsample with elevated symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The new self-guided course was beneficial, and automated emails facilitated outcomes. Further attention to strategies that facilitate adherence, learning, and safety will help realise the potential of self-guided interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12610001058066