The high impact of low intensity: Effectiveness of the BounceBack® program for depression and anxiety in Ontario

Abstract

High costs, long wait times, and lack of access to mental health supports in Ontario are leaving millions with unmet treatment needs. To address this need, Ontario launched BounceBack(R), a large-scale coach-supported intervention grounded in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to target symptoms of anxiety, depression, and functional impairment. Participants choose from a series of CBT-based workbooks to review and discuss with their coach for 4-6 telephone sessions. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the BounceBack program in Ontario by examining (a) changes in participants’ depression and anxiety symptoms and functional impairment (as measured by the PHQ-9, GAD-7, and WSAS, respectively); and (b) rates for recovery and reliable improvement. One-way ANOVAs were conducted to identify if symptoms differed between preintervention, partial completion, and postintervention. Improvements in anxiety, depression, and impairment were present for both partial-completers (two to three sessions) and full-completers (four to six sessions), though full-completers evidenced significantly better outcomes. Effect sizes were moderate to large. Strong recovery and reliable improvement rates further support the effectiveness of BounceBack as a potent intervention for individuals experiencing that leads to recovery from symptoms of anxiety and/or depression for the majority of its participants.