These results indicate the potential of carefully developed Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy interventions for young adults with anxiety and depression provided in either self or therapist-guided format. Further large-scale research is required to determine the short- and long-term advantages and disadvantages of different models of support.
Purpose. In many jurisdictions child witnesses who testify in court about their own sexual abuse are cross-examined by a defence attorney. Children find this process to be distressing, and despite recent child-focussed modifications to other aspects of the legal process, cross-examination has remained largely unaltered. This lack of modification is due, in part, to the assumption that cross-examination promotes truthful testimony (Wigmore, 1974 Evidence in trials at common law). However, little empirical research has investigated the effects of cross-examination questions on children's reports of neutral and transgressive events. To examine these effects a laboratory-based study was conducted.Method. One hundred and twenty kindergarten (M = 6 years) and grade 2 (M = 8 years) students participated individually in a staged event. Children witnessed an adult commit a transgression and were then interviewed twice about it. Children first underwent a direct-examination interview followed by either a direct-or crossexamination interview.Results. Children's reports of neutral events were significantly less accurate in Interview 2 cross-examination, than they were in Interview 1 direct-examination, whereas children interviewed twice with direct-examination were equally accurate in Interviews 1 and 2. Furthermore, children whose second interview involved crossexamination were less accurate in their reports of neutral events than were children whose second interview was a direct examination. Cross-examination also affected some children's disclosures of a witnessed transgression. More of the older children provided truthful disclosures of the transgression in the initial direct examination compared with the Interview 2 cross-examination.Conclusions. Findings suggest that cross-examination as used in this study may not be the most effective procedure for eliciting truthful testimony for both neutral and transgressive events from children aged between 5 and 8 years.
<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Psychological adjustment to chronic health conditions is important, as poor adjustment predicts a range of adverse medical and psychosocial outcomes. Psychological treatments demonstrate efficacy for people with chronic health conditions, but existing research takes a disorder-specific approach and they are predominately delivered in face-to-face contexts. The internet and remotely delivered treatments have the potential to overcome barriers to accessing traditional face-to-face treatment. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> The current study examined the efficacy and acceptability of an internet-delivered transdiagnostic psychological intervention to promote adjustment to illness, based on cognitive behaviour therapy principles. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In a two-arm randomised controlled trial, participants (<i>n</i> = 676) were randomly allocated to the 8-week intervention or a waitlist control. Treatment included five core lessons, homework tasks, additional resources, and weekly contact with a psychologist. Primary outcomes included depression, anxiety, and disability, assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment, 3-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The treatment group reported significantly greater improvements in depression (between-groups <i>d =</i> 0.47), anxiety (<i>d</i> = 0.32), and disability (<i>d</i> = 0.17) at post-treatment (all <i>ps</i> <0.001). Improvements were sustained over the 3-month and 12-month follow-ups. High treatment completion rates (69%) and levels of satisfaction (86%) were reported by participants in treatment. The intervention required a mean clinician time of 56.70 min per participant. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The findings provide preliminary and tentative support for the potential of internet-delivered transdiagnostic interventions to promote adjustment to chronic health conditions. Further research using robust control groups, and exploring the generalisability of findings, is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.
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