Efficacy of an Electronic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program Delivered via the Online Psychotherapy Tool for Depression and Anxiety Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Pre-Post Pilot Study.
JMIR Ment Health
; 10: e51102, 2023 Dec 25.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-37993984
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Lockdowns and social distancing resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have worsened the population's mental health and made it more difficult for individuals to receive care. Electronic cognitive behavioral therapy (e-CBT) is a cost-effective and evidence-based treatment for anxiety and depression and can be accessed remotely.OBJECTIVE:
The objective of the study was to investigate the efficacy of online psychotherapy tailored to depression and anxiety symptoms during the pandemic.METHODS:
The pilot study used a pre-post design to evaluate the efficacy of a 9-week e-CBT program designed for individuals with depression and anxiety affected by the pandemic. Participants were adults (N=59) diagnosed with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, whose mental health symptoms initiated or worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online psychotherapy program focused on teaching coping, mindfulness, and problem-solving skills. Symptoms of anxiety and depression, resilience, and quality of life were assessed.RESULTS:
Participants demonstrated significant improvements in symptoms of anxiety (P=.02) and depression (P=.03) after the intervention. Similar trends were observed in the intention-to-treat analysis. No significant differences were observed in resilience and quality-of-life measures. The sample comprised mostly females, making it challenging to discern the benefits of the intervention in males. Although a pre-post design is less rigorous than a controlled trial, this design was selected to observe changes in scores during a critical period.CONCLUSIONS:
e-CBT for COVID-19 is an effective and accessible treatment option. Improvements in clinical symptoms of anxiety and depression can be observed in individuals whose mental health is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04476667; https//clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04476667. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/24913.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Contexto em Saúde:
1_ASSA2030
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4_TD
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental
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Transtorno Depressivo Maior
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Atenção Plena
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COVID-19
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
JMIR Ment Health
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article