Background Studies on guided internet-delivered treatment have demonstrated promising results for patients with depressive disorder. Objective The aim of this study was to provide an overview of this research area and identify potential gaps in the research. Methods In this scoping review, web-based databases were used to identify research papers published between 2010 and 2022 where guided internet-delivered treatment was administered to participants with depressive disorders, a standardized rating scale of depressive symptoms was used as the primary outcome measure, and the treatment was compared with a control condition. Results A total of 111 studies were included, and an overview of the studies was provided. Several gaps in the research were identified regarding the design of the studies, treatments delivered, participant representation, and treatment completion. Conclusions This review provides a comprehensive overview of the research area, and several research gaps were identified. The use of other designs and active control conditions is recommended. Future studies should provide access to treatment manuals, and more replications should be conducted. Researchers should aim to include underrepresented populations and provide reports of comorbidities. Definitions of adequate dosage, reports of completion rates, and reasons for treatment dropout are recommended for future studies.

IntroductionGuided internet-delivered therapy has shown promising results for patients with mild to moderate depressive disorder, but several challenges with the format have been reported. The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate therapists’ experiences providing guided internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with mild to moderate depression.Material and methodsTwelve therapists were interviewed, and the interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.Results and conclusionThree themes were created: (1) For the right person, at the right time. This theme is about therapists’ experiences appointing patients to the program. It is challenging to predict which patients will benefit from it, and it is not the right option for all patients. (2) It is not like chatting on Facebook. The second theme was about the experiences with demands on clinics, therapists and patients that must be considered. The internet-delivered treatment should not be viewed as a simple treatment option, and the value of having contact with the patients during treatment was emphasized. (3) It is like a railroad, but without the switches. This theme was about the experiences with how the treatment content was conveyed to the patients, how the therapists expressed concerns with the usability of the program and the reported need for more possibilities in tailoring treatment for each patient.

No abstract