Online interventions for depression and anxiety – a systematic review

Abstract

Background: Access to mental health care is limited. Internet-based interventions (IBIs) may help bridge that gap by improving access especially for those who are unable to receive expert care. Aim: This review explores current research on the effectiveness of IBIs for depression and anxiety. Results: For depression, therapist-guided cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) had larger effect sizes consistently across studies, ranging from 0.6 to 1.9; while stand-alone CBT (without therapist guidance) had a more modest effect size of 0.3–0.7. Even other interventions for depression (non-CBT/non-randomized controlled trial (RCT)) showed modestly high effect sizes (0.2–1.7). For anxiety disorders, studies showed robust effect sizes for therapist-assisted interventions with effect sizes of 0.7–1.7 (efficacy similar to face-to-face CBT) and stand-alone CBT studies also showed large effect sizes (0.6–1.7). Non-CBT/Non-RCT studies (only 3) also showed significant reduction in anxiety scores at the end of the interventions. Conclusion: IBIs for anxiety and depression appear to be effective in reducing symptomatology for both depression and anxiety, which were enhanced by the guidance of a therapist. Further research is needed to identify various predictive factors and the extent to which stand-alone Internet therapies may be effective in the future as well as effects for different patient populations.

Virtual Relationships and Systemic Practices in the Digital Era

“…Despite the fact that ICTs' use developed and expanded since the early 1990s, the literature regarding their influences on relationships and family life, their use in family therapy and training, the consequences of problematic use and the therapeutic strategies to face them, has not yet flourished within the systemic approach (see Blumer et al 2014 for a publication overview)-as distinct from other therapeutic perspectives (Saddichha et al 2014;Andersson 2009).…”

Efficacy of an Online Self-Help Treatment for Comorbid Alcohol Misuse and Emotional Problems in Young Adults: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

“…More young people with alcohol misuse and cooccurring emotional problems would be helped for much less cost relative to inpatient treatments. Data show that cost-effective, online interventions reduce alcohol misuse [29], depression [30], and anxiety [31] separately, with effect sizes being comparable to those of in person treatments.…”

“…The current study will design and deliver an online self-help intervention for comorbid alcohol misuse and emotional problems in young adults (ages [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. This intervention will contain strategies drawn from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI) -both evidence-based psychotherapies for alcohol misuse and depression/anxiety [11,12].…”

Designing and Undertaking a Health Economics Study of Digital Health Interventions

“…37,38 Unlike all other costs associated with DHIs, which are fixed, these facilitation costs are variable as they increase with each additional user.…”