The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on mental health worldwide, with increased rates of anxiety and depression widely documented. The aim of this study was to examine unguided low intensity cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety and depression during the pandemic. A sample of 225 individuals in Australia and the United Kingdom ( M age 37.79, SD = 14.02, range 18-80 years; 85% female) were randomised into intervention or waitlist control. The intervention group demonstrated significant decreases in anxiety ( d = 0.36 [0.18, 0.54]) and depression ( d = 0.28 [0.11, 0.45]) compared to controls. The majority of participants (96%) rated the intervention as useful, and most (83%) reported they spent 30 minutes or less reading the guide, with 83% agreeing the intervention was easy to read. The results indicate that low intensity cognitive behaviour therapy has efficacy in reducing anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an urgent need to disseminate low intensity psychological therapies to improve mental health in this challenging time.

Objective:The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on mental health worldwide with increased anxiety and depression in the community widely documented. There is an urgent need to deliver low intensity cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) tailored to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic, but these approaches need to be assessed for their acceptability and usefulness. The aim of this research was to engage in a qualitative study of participants views surrounding anxiety and depression during the pandemic and feedback on the acceptability and usefulness of a low intensity CBT intervention for adults during the pandemic to inform intervention development and refinement. Method: There were 21 participants (21-80 years, M = 40.90 years, SD = 16.33; 71% female) from Australia who participated in qualitative interviews who had completed intervention in a randomised controlled trial of low intensity Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression during the pandemic. Results: Themes emerged including the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, prior experience of psychological therapy or CBT, acceptability and usefulness of the intervention, participants ideas for intervention improvement and preferences for using the guide. The majority of participants reported the intervention was useful, however suggested several areas including content and format to improve the intervention and feedback on what they would prefer for an intervention.Conclusions: A low intensity CBT intervention for anxiety and depression was reported as useful and acceptable by participants for their concerns related to the pandemic and exacerbation of pre-existing anxiety and depression.

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