Stimulus control for insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Stimulus control (SC) is commonly viewed as an evidence-based treatment for insomnia, but it has not been evaluated comprehensively with modern review and meta-analytic techniques. The aim of the current study was thus to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of trials that examine the efficacy of stimulus control for insomnia. A systematic search for eligible articles and dissertations was conducted in six online bibliographic databases. The 11 included studies, with the majority published between 1978 and 1998, were randomised controlled and experimental studies in adults, comparing stimulus control for insomnia with passive and active comparators and assessing insomnia symptoms as outcomes. A random effects model was used to determine the standardised mean difference Hedge's g at post-treatment and follow-up for three sleep diary measures: the number of awakenings, sleep onset latency, and total sleep time. A test for heterogeneity was conducted, forest plots were produced, the risk of publication bias was estimated, and the study quality was assessed. In the trials identified, stimulus control resulted in small to large improvements on sleep onset latency and total sleep time, relative to passive comparators (g = 0.38-0.85). Compared with active comparators, the improvements following stimulus control were negligible (g = 0.06-0.30). Although methodological uncertainties were observed in the included trials, stimulus control appears to be an efficacious treatment for insomnia when compared with passive comparators and with similar effects to active comparators. More robust studies are, however, warranted before stronger conclusions are possible to infer.

Effects of Training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Motivational Interviewing on Mental Health Practitioner Behaviour: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Effective training of mental health professionals is crucial for bridging the gap between research and practice when delivering cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing (MI) within community settings. However, previous research has provided inconclusive evidence regarding the impact of training efforts. The current study aimed to systematically search, review and synthesize the literature on CBT and MI training to assess its effect on practitioner behavioural outcomes. Following prospective registration, a literature search was conducted for studies where mental health practitioners were exposed to training in face-to-face CBT or MI, reporting on at least one quantitative practitioner behavioural outcome. A total of 116 studies were eligible for the systematic review, and 20 studies were included in four meta-analyses. The systematic review highlights the need to establish psychometrically valid outcome measures for practitioner behaviour. Results of the meta-analyses suggest that training has a greater effect on practitioner behaviour change compared to receiving no training or reading a treatment manual. Training combined with consultation/supervision was found to be more effective than training alone, and no differences were found between face-to-face and online training. Results should be interpreted with caution due to methodological limitations in the primary studies, large heterogeneity, and small samples in the meta-analyses. Future directions are discussed.

Perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical psychology internships in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on societies and health care services worldwide, including the clinical training of psychology interns. Some of the pandemic-related restrictions were in breach of the internship requirements, increasing the risk of failed internships and a shortage of new health care professionals. This situation needed to be assessed. METHODS: Web-based surveys were administered to clinical psychology interns in Sweden 2020 (n = 267) and 2021 (n = 340), as well as to supervisors in 2020 (n = 240). The supervisors also provided information about their interns (n = 297). RESULTS: Risk factors for a prolonged internship, such as pandemic-related absence from work (12.4% in 2020 and 7.9% in 2021), unqualified work (0% in 2020, 3% in 2021), and change in internship content were low. However, remote interactions using digital services increased. Face-to-face patient contacts decreased significantly from 2020 to 2021 (Χ2 = 5.17, p = .023), while remote work and remote supervision increased significantly (Χ2 = 53.86, p < .001 and Χ2 = 8.88, p = .003, respectively). Still, the content in patient contacts and supervision was maintained. Most interns reported no difficulties with remote supervision or supervision in personal protective equipment. However, of the interns who reported difficulties, role-play and skills training in remote supervision were perceived as significantly harder (Χ2 = 28.67, p < .001) than in supervision using personal protective equipment. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates that clinical training of psychology interns in Sweden could proceed despite a societal crisis. Results suggest that the psychology internship was flexible in the sense that it could be realized in combined face-to-face and remote formats without losing much of its value. However, the results also suggest that some skills may be harder to train in remote supervision.

The Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form: Psychometric evaluation in one non-clinical and two clinical Swedish samples.

BACKGROUND: Self-compassion has been defined as the ability to be with one's feelings of suffering in a warm and caring way. Research has shown a negative association between self-compassion and mental illness, and that low self-compassion can make psychotherapeutic effects less likely. The ability to measure a patient's self-compassion in a fast and reliable way is therefore important in investigating effects of psychotherapies. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF) in both non-clinical (NC) and clinical samples. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were gathered in a NC community sample (n = 1,089), an eating disorder (ED) sample (n = 253) and a borderline personality disorder (BPD) sample (n = 151). All participants were asked to complete a number of questionnaires, including the SCS-SF, and 121 participants in the NC sample repeated the assessment after 2 weeks for test-retest analysis. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses supported the first-order model suggested in previous research. Good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.78-0.87) and test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation = 0.84) were demonstrated for the entire scale. Results also showed good convergent validity, demonstrating moderate negative associations between self-compassion and mental illnesses, as expected, and acceptable divergent validity, demonstrating weak positive associations between self-compassion and quality of life and mindfulness. DISCUSSION: The correlations between the SCS-SF and the instruments used for validation were weaker in the clinical samples than the NC sample. This may be due to difficulties measuring these constructs or that the associations differ somewhat between different populations, which could warrant further research. The results added some support to the assumption that self-compassion may overlap with mindfulness yet still represents a distinct construct. CONCLUSIONS: Analyses of the SCS-SF provided evidence of adequate to good psychometric properties, supporting use of the scale's total sum score and a first-order factor structure. This is in accordance with previous evaluations of the SCS-SF, suggesting that it is a reliable and time-efficient instrument for measuring a general level of self-compassion. This may be important when evaluating psychotherapy and investigating self-compassion and its influence on psychiatric illness.

Paradoxical intention for insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Paradoxical intention (PI) has been considered an evidence-based treatment for insomnia since the 1990s, but it has not been evaluated with modern review techniques such as meta-analysis. The present study aimed to conduct the first systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that explore the effectiveness of PI for insomnia on insomnia symptomatology and theory-derived processes. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted by searching for eligible articles or dissertations in six online bibliographic databases. Randomised controlled trials and experimental studies comparing PI for insomnia to active and passive comparators and assessing insomnia symptoms as outcomes were included. A random effects model was estimated to determine the standardised mean difference Hedge's g at post-treatment. Test for heterogeneity was performed, fail-safe N was calculated, and study quality was assessed. The study was pre-registered at International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, CRD42019137357). A total of 10 trials were identified. Compared to passive comparators, PI led to large improvements in key insomnia symptoms. Relative to active comparators, the improvements were smaller, but still moderate for several central outcomes. Compared to passive comparators, PI resulted in great reductions in sleep-related performance anxiety, one of several proposed mechanisms of change for PI. PI for insomnia resulted in marked clinical improvements, large relative to passive comparators and moderate compared to active comparators. However, methodologically stronger studies are needed before more firm conclusions can be drawn.

A behaviour-based coding tool for assessing supervisors' adherence and competence: Findings from a motivational interviewing implementation study.

Supervision seems to be an essential part of therapist training and thus also of implementing evidence-based practices. However, there is a shortage of valid and reliable instruments for objective assessment of supervision competence that include both global measures and frequency counts of behaviour-two essential aspects of supervisory competence. This study tests the internal consistency and inter-rater reliability of an assessment tool that includes both these measures. Additionally, strategies and techniques used by 10 supervisors in 35 Motivational interviewing supervision sessions are described. Codings were conducted after two separate coding training sessions. The internal consistency across the global measures was acceptable (α = 0.70; 0.71). After the second training, the inter-rater reliabilities for all frequency counts were in the moderate to good range, except for two that were in the poor range; inter-rater reliability for one of the four global measures was in the moderate range, and three were in the poor range. A prerequisite for identifying specific supervisor skills central to the development of therapist skills, teaching these skills to supervisors and performing quality assurance of supervision, is to create instruments that can measure these behaviours. This study is a step in that direction.

Treating co-morbid insomnia and social anxiety disorder with sequential CBT protocols: a single-case experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Although insomnia disorder and social anxiety disorder are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, no studies have yet evaluated the use of sequential evidence-based treatment protocols in the population with co-morbid social anxiety disorder and insomnia disorder. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the effects of sequential treatments on co-morbid insomnia disorder and social anxiety disorder. As depression is a common co-morbid syndrome for both insomnia and social anxiety, a secondary aim was to examine depressive symptoms. METHOD: A single-case repeated crossover AB design was used. Ten participants between 18 and 59 years of age with co-morbid DSM-5 diagnoses of insomnia disorder and social anxiety disorder received sequential treatments with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Seven participants completed the treatment course. The primary outcomes were symptoms of insomnia and social anxiety, and the secondary outcome was symptoms of depression. RESULTS: The effects of CBT on people with co-morbid social anxiety disorder and insomnia disorder were mixed. The majority of participants improved their sleep quality and lessened symptoms of social anxiety and depression. However, participants differed in their degree of improvement concerning all three disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Sequential CBT treatments are potentially effective at decreasing symptoms of social anxiety and insomnia for people with co-morbid social anxiety disorder and insomnia disorder. The variation in outcome across participants makes firm conclusions about the treatment efficacy difficult to draw.

Cocreated internet-based stepped care for individuals with cancer and concurrent symptoms of anxiety and depression: Results from the U-CARE AdultCan randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate the effects of cocreated internet-based stepped care (iCAN-DO) on anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in individuals with cancer and self-reported anxiety and/or depression symptoms, compared with standard care. METHODS: Clinically recruited individuals with breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer underwent online screening with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Those with anxiety and/or depression symptoms (>7 on any of the HADS subscales) were randomized to iCAN-DO or standard care. iCAN-DO comprised psychoeducation and self-care strategies (step 1) and internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT, step 2). Data were collected before randomization and at 1, 4, 7, and 10 months and analyzed with intention-to-treat regression analysis and randomization tests. RESULTS: Online screening identified 245 (27%) of 909 individuals who reported anxiety and/or depression symptoms. They were randomized to iCAN-DO (n = 124) or standard care (n = 121). Of them 49% completed the 10-month assessment, and in the iCAN-DO group 85% accessed step 1 and 13% underwent iCBT. iCAN-DO decreased the levels of symptoms of depression (-0.54, 95% confidence interval: -1.08 to -0.01, P < .05) and the proportion of individuals with symptoms of depression (P < .01) at 10 months, compared with standard care, according to HADS. There were no significant effects on anxiety, posttraumatic stress, or HRQoL. CONCLUSION: Internet-based stepped care improves symptoms of depression in individuals with cancer. Further studies are needed to gain knowledge on how to optimize and implement internet-based support in oncology care.

User Experiences of an Internet-Based Stepped-Care Intervention for Individuals With Cancer and Concurrent Symptoms of Anxiety or Depression (the U-CARE AdultCan Trial): Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: The internet-based stepped-care intervention iCAN-DO, used in the multicenter randomized controlled trial AdultCan, was developed for adult patients undergoing treatment for cancer and concurrently experiencing anxiety or depressive symptoms. iCAN-DO aimed to decrease symptoms of anxiety or depression. Step 1 comprises access to a library with psychoeducational material and a peer-support section, as well as the possibility to pose questions to a nurse. Step 2 of the intervention offers treatment consisting of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) to participants still experiencing anxiety or depression at 1, 4, or 7 months after inclusion. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to explore user experiences of delivery, design, and structure of iCAN-DO from the perspective of people with cancer. METHODS: We studied user experiences by interviewing 15 informants individually: 10 women with breast cancer (67%), 4 men with prostate cancer (27%), and 1 man with colorectal cancer (7%) with a mean age 58.9 years (SD 8.9). The interviews focused on informants' perceptions of ease of use and of system design and structure. Informants had been included in iCAN-DO for at least 7 months. They were purposefully selected based on activity in Step 1, participation in iCBT (ie, Step 2), gender, and diagnosis. RESULTS: Of the 15 informants, 6 had been offered iCBT (40%). All informants used the internet on a daily basis, but 2 (13%) described themselves as very inexperienced computer users. The analysis revealed three subthemes, concerning how user experiences were affected by disease-specific factors and side effects (User experience in the context of cancer), technical problems (Technical struggles require patience and troubleshooting), and the structure and design of iCAN-DO (Appealing and usable, but rather simple). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that user experiences were affected by informants' life situations, the technical aspects and the design of iCAN-DO, and informants' preferences. The results have generated some developments feasible to launch during the ongoing study, but if iCAN-DO is to be used beyond research interest, a greater level of tailoring of information, features, and design may be needed to improve user experiences. The use of recurrent questionnaires during the treatment period may highlight an individual's health, but also function as a motivator showing improvements over time.

Experiences of Internet-Based Stepped Care in Individuals With Cancer and Concurrent Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression: Qualitative Exploration Conducted Alongside the U-CARE AdultCan Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with newly diagnosed cancer may experience impaired health in several aspects and often have a large need for information and support. About 30% will experience symptoms of anxiety and depression, with varying needs of knowledge and support. Despite this, many of these patients lack appropriate support. Internet-based support programs may offer a supplement to standard care services, but must be carefully explored from a user perspective. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the participants' perceptions of the relevance and benefits of an internet-based stepped care program (iCAN-DO) targeting individuals with cancer and concurrent symptoms of anxiety and depression. METHODS: We performed a qualitative study with an inductive approach, in which we used semistructured questions to interview 15 individuals using iCAN-DO. We analyzed the interviews using content analysis. RESULTS: The analysis found 17 subcategories regarding the stepped care intervention, resulting in 4 categories. Participants described the need for information as large and looked upon finding information almost as a survival strategy when receiving the cancer diagnosis. iCAN-DO was seen as a useful, reliable source of information and support. It was used as a complement to standard care and as a means to inform next of kin. Increased knowledge was a foundation for continued processing of participants' own feelings. The optimal time to gain access to iCAN-DO would have been when being informed of the diagnosis. The most common denominator was feeling acknowledged and supported, but with a desire for further adaptation of the system to each individual's own situation and needs. CONCLUSIONS: Users saw the internet-based stepped care program as safe and reliable and used it as a complement to standard care. Similar interventions may gain from more personalized contents, being integrated into standard care, or using symptom tracking to adjust the contents. Offering this type of program close to diagnosis may provide benefits to users. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClincalTrials.gov NCT-01630681; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01630681.

Clinical supervision in cognitive behavior therapy improves therapists' competence: a single-case experimental pilot study.

Clinical supervision is a cornerstone in psychotherapists' training but there are few empirical evaluations on the effects of supervision on therapists' competencies. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the effects of standardized supervision on rater-assessed competency in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). Six therapists with basic training in CBT were provided with protocol-based clinical supervision in CBT in a single-case experimental multiple baseline design. The supervision focused on specific CBT competencies and used experiential learning methods such as role-play. Each therapist recorded weekly treatment sessions during phases without and with supervision. The therapists' CBT competence was assessed by third-party raters using the Revised Cognitive Therapy Scale (CTS-R). Statistical analyses showed that the therapists' CTS-R scores increased significantly during the phase with supervision with a mean item increase of M = 0.71 (range = 0.50-1.0) on the supervision focus areas. This is one of the first empirical studies that can confirm that supervision affect CBT competencies. The results also suggest that supervision can be manualized and that supervisees have a positive perception of more active training methods. Further studies are needed to replicate the results and to find ways to improve the impact of supervision.

Are sleep hygiene practices related to the incidence, persistence and remission of insomnia? Findings from a prospective community study.

The purpose was to examine whether sleep hygiene practices are associated with the course of insomnia (incidence, persistence and remission) over 1 year in the general population. This longitudinal study was carried out in the general population. After excluding anyone with other primary sleep disorder than insomnia, 1638 participants returned a baseline and a 1-year follow-up survey. Questions regarding sleep hygiene practices were administered at baseline, and the status of insomnia was assessed at baseline (T1) and at the 1-year follow-up (T2). Age, gender, mental ill-health, and pain were used as covariates in the analyses. Nicotine use, mental ill-health and pain were independently associated with an increased risk for concurrent insomnia at T1, while mental ill-health was the only risk factor for incident insomnia at T2. Relative to not reporting insomnia at the two time-points, nicotine use, light or noise disturbance, mental ill-health, and pain significantly increased the risk for persistent insomnia over 1 year. In comparison with those whose insomnia had remitted at the follow-up, reporting an irregular sleep schedule was a significant risk factor for persistent insomnia. Of the nine sleep hygiene practices examined in this study, only three were independently linked to concurrent and future insomnia, respectively; using nicotine late in the evening, light or noise disturbance, and having an irregular sleep schedule. This may have implications for the conceptualization and management of insomnia as well as for future research.

The effects of clinical supervision on supervisees and patients in cognitive behavioral therapy: a systematic review.

Clinical supervision is a central part of psychotherapist training but the empirical support for specific supervision theories or features is unclear. The aims of this study were to systematically review the empirical research literature regarding the effects of clinical supervision on therapists' competences and clinical outcomes within Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). A comprehensive database search resulted in 4103 identified publications. Of these, 133 were scrutinized and in the end 5 studies were included in the review for data synthesis. The five studies were heterogeneous in scope and quality and only one provided firm empirical support for the positive effects of clinical supervision on therapists' competence. The remaining four studies suffered from methodological weaknesses, but provided some preliminary support that clinical supervision may be beneficiary for novice therapists. No study could show benefits from supervision for patients. The research literature suggests that clinical supervision may have some potential effects on novice therapists' competence compared to no supervision but the effects on clinical outcomes are still unclear. While bug-in-the-eye live supervision may be more effective than standard delayed supervision, the effects of specific supervision models or features are also unclear. There is a continued need for high-quality empirical studies on the effects of clinical supervision in psychotherapy.

Socio-demographic and clinical variables associated with psychological distress 1 and 3 years after breast cancer diagnosis.

PURPOSE: A large group of women (20-30 %) report psychological distress shortly after breast cancer diagnosis, and some experience continued or increased symptoms over time. The aim of this study was to investigate socio-demographic and clinical variables associated with sustained psychological distress in this patient group. METHODS: Women with breast cancer (n = 833) completed self-report questionnaires regarding socio-demographic and clinical variables shortly after (T1) and 3 years after diagnosis (T2) while data on illness severity were collected from a quality register. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used as a measure of psychological distress at both time points. RESULTS: The number of participants who reported elevated levels of anxiety was 231 (28 %) at T1 and 231 (28 %) at T2 while elevated depressive symptoms was reported by 119 (14 %) women at T1 and 92 (11 %) at T2. Despite non-significant differences in mean scores over time, 91 (15 %) participants reported increased anxiety symptoms and 47 (7 %) reported increased depressive symptoms. Poor financial situation, lack of social support, previous psychiatric treatment, and high levels of fatigue were associated with both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Reporting high levels of fatigue was the variable most strongly associated with increased psychological distress over time. CONCLUSION: Most participants reported decreased psychological distress over time, but there were subgroups of women who experienced sustained or increased symptoms of anxiety or depression. Participants with poor financial status, previous psychological problems, or high levels of fatigue may be at increased risk of psychological distress. Such individuals may benefit most from psychosocial interventions.

Motivation and Treatment Credibility Predicts Dropout, Treatment Adherence, and Clinical Outcomes in an Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Relaxation Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: In previous research, variables such as age, education, treatment credibility, and therapeutic alliance have shown to affect patients' treatment adherence and outcome in Internet-based psychotherapy. A more detailed understanding of how such variables are associated with different measures of adherence and clinical outcomes may help in designing more effective online therapy. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to investigate demographical, psychological, and treatment-specific variables that could predict dropout, treatment adherence, and treatment outcomes in a study of online relaxation for mild to moderate stress symptoms. METHODS: Participant dropout and attrition as well as data from self-report instruments completed before, during, and after the online relaxation program were analyzed. Multiple linear and logistical regression analyses were conducted to predict early dropout, overall attrition, online treatment progress, number of registered relaxation exercises, posttreatment symptom levels, and reliable improvement. RESULTS: Dropout was significantly predicted by treatment credibility, whereas overall attrition was associated with reporting a focus on immediate consequences and experiencing a low level of intrinsic motivation for the treatment. Treatment progress was predicted by education level and treatment credibility, whereas number of registered relaxation exercises was associated with experiencing intrinsic motivation for the treatment. Posttreatment stress symptoms were positively predicted by feeling external pressure to participate in the treatment and negatively predicted by treatment credibility. Reporting reliable symptom improvement after treatment was predicted by treatment credibility and therapeutic bond. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that treatment credibility and a good working alliance are factors associated with successful Internet-based psychotherapy. Further, the study showed that measuring adherence in different ways provides somewhat different results, which underscore the importance of carefully defining treatment adherence in psychotherapy research. Lastly, the results suggest that finding the treatment interesting and engaging may help patients carry through with the intervention and complete prescribed assignments, a result that may help guide the design of future interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02535598; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02535598 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6fl38ms7y).

Measuring Use of Health-Related Support on the Internet: Development of the Health Online Support Questionnaire (HOSQ).

BACKGROUND: Social support plays an important role for the perceived health in people with health problems and chronic diseases. Provision of different kinds of support during the disease trajectory is crucial for many people. Online support is ubiquitous and represents a promising modality for people with chronic diseases. There are no existing instruments that measure various aspects of online support. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to create a generic questionnaire regarding health-related support online that can be applied to people with various health problems and illnesses. Additionally, we wanted to test the questionnaire in a cancer population to assess its adequacy in the context of severe disease. METHODS: Initial items for the Health Online Support Questionnaire (HOSQ) were inspired by sociologist James House regarding social support. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted in healthy persons or with minor health problems (n=243) on 31 initial items. The scale was reduced to 18 items and the internal consistency and reliability of the scale was examined along with content validity. Further validation was conducted by a confirmatory analysis on the 18-item scale in a cancer population (n=215). In addition, data on demographics, health problems experienced, and Internet use were collected. RESULTS: The exploratory factor analysis on the final 18-item scale resulted in 2 factors. After scrutinizing the content, these factors were labeled "reading" and "interacting" and they demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach alphas .88 and .77, respectively). The factors were confirmed in the cancer population. The response pattern revealed expected differences both between the interaction and reading scales and according to age, gender, education, and health problems thereby supporting the validity of the HOSQ. CONCLUSIONS: The HOSQ may be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring the use of online support for people with health problems, but the results ought to be replicated in more studies to confirm the results for different diagnoses. If the results of this study are corroborated by future studies, the HOSQ may be used as a basis for the development of different forms of support on the Internet.

A randomised wait-list controlled clinical trial of the effects of acceptance and commitment therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes: a study protocol.

BACKGROUND: In order to manage the acute and long-term effects of living with a chronic disease such as diabetes, both medical treatment and good psychosocial support are needed. In this study, we wish to examine whether a psychological group intervention targeting people with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes can be helpful in augmenting quality of life while also lowering participants' HbA1c level. The group intervention will consist of a brief treatment developed from a branch of cognitive behavioural therapy called acceptance and commitment therapy, which is part of the so-called third wave of cognitive behavioural therapy. Common for these third-wave therapies, the focus is less on the content and restructuring of thoughts and more on the function of behaviour. Here, we describe the protocol and plans for study enrolment. METHODS/DESIGN: This on-going study is designed as a randomised wait-list controlled trial. Eighty patients aged 26-55 years and with an HbA1c level >70 mmol/mol at the time of enrolment will be included. DISCUSSION: In this study, we will assess the effect of starting acceptance and commitment therapy group treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes and its effect on glycaemic control and well-being. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current controlled trials: ISRCTN17006837, registered 12(th) January 2015.

Interformat reliability of digital psychiatric self-report questionnaires: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Research on Internet-based interventions typically use digital versions of pen and paper self-report symptom scales. However, adaptation into the digital format could affect the psychometric properties of established self-report scales. Several studies have investigated differences between digital and pen and paper versions of instruments, but no systematic review of the results has yet been done. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to assess the interformat reliability of self-report symptom scales used in digital or online psychotherapy research. METHODS: Three databases (MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO) were systematically reviewed for studies investigating the reliability between digital and pen and paper versions of psychiatric symptom scales. RESULTS: From a total of 1504 publications, 33 were included in the review, and interformat reliability of 40 different symptom scales was assessed. Significant differences in mean total scores between formats were found in 10 of 62 analyses. These differences were found in just a few studies, which indicates that the results were due to study effects and sample effects rather than unreliable instruments. The interformat reliability ranged from r=.35 to r=.99; however, the majority of instruments showed a strong correlation between format scores. The quality of the included studies varied, and several studies had insufficient power to detect small differences between formats. CONCLUSIONS: When digital versions of self-report symptom scales are compared to pen and paper versions, most scales show high interformat reliability. This supports the reliability of results obtained in psychotherapy research on the Internet and the comparability of the results to traditional psychotherapy research. There are, however, some instruments that consistently show low interformat reliability, suggesting that these conclusions cannot be generalized to all questionnaires. Most studies had at least some methodological issues with insufficient statistical power being the most common issue. Future studies should preferably provide information about the transformation of the instrument into digital format and the procedure for data collection in more detail.

Psychotherapist factors that patients perceive are associated with treatment failure.

Psychotherapy is a well-established and effective treatment for various psychiatric problems, but a substantial proportion of patients do not benefit from it, and many terminate treatment prematurely. Previous studies suggest that therapist dissatisfaction may play a pivotal role in premature treatment termination. This study, therefore, aimed to investigate therapist factors that may contribute to less-than-optimal results and dropout. Data were collected through a survey of patients (n = 736) with the experience of previous unsuccessful psychotherapy treatments. Based on prior research, the survey covered 13 therapist behaviors and traits, such as being unstructured or unengaged. The most common therapist factor that patients associated with treatment failure was poor assessment/understanding (86.7%), followed by inflexibility (71.7%) and poor knowledge (70.1%). Furthermore, this study identified four novel therapist-related factors: breaking the treatment contract, inappropriate sexual behaviors or comments, using non-conventional methods, and dominating behaviors. Overall, this study highlights the significance of therapist-related factors in premature treatment termination and treatment failure, shedding light on the crucial role therapists play in the therapeutic process. Understanding these factors is essential for improving psychotherapy outcomes and reducing dropout rates. Further investigations are needed to explore the impact of these therapist behaviors on treatment outcomes and to develop strategies for enhancing therapist competencies and skills to foster a more effective therapeutic alliance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of Psychological Interventions to Enhance Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Psychological interventions are commonly applied in sports to help athletes enhance their performance, but the effect psychological interventions have on actual performance is unclear despite decades of research. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic review with meta-analyses to investigate the effects of a wide range of psychological interventions on performance in competitive athletes. METHODS: A study protocol was preregistered in PROSPERO, and a literary search was performed in the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus databases. Psychological intervention studies were eligible by using a group design and a quantitative performance outcome with athletes competing at a regional or university level or higher. Included studies were assessed regarding intervention characteristics, research methodology, and risk of bias. A multi-level meta-analysis framework with cluster robust variance estimation was used to quantitatively synthesize the results. RESULTS: A total of 111 studies met the inclusion criteria, and 25 of these studies (37 effects) could be synthesized into five meta-analyses in which there were similarities in the type of psychological intervention, comparator, and experimental design. Meta-analyses I (multimodal psychological skills training vs control), II (mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches vs control), and III (imagery vs control) consisted of parallel-group studies, and random-effects models were used to calculate the standardized mean difference. Meta-analyses IV (attentional focus strategies, external vs internal) and V (regulatory focus performance instructions, prevention vs promotion) consisted of counterbalanced crossover design studies, and random-effects models were used to calculate the standardized mean change using change score standardization. Significant results were found in three of the meta-analyses (I, II, and III). Psychological skills training (g = 0.83, 95% confidence interval 0.21-1.45), mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches (g = 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.01-1.32), and imagery (g = 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.14-1.36) outperformed controls with moderate effects. However, when non-randomized trials and subjective performance outcomes were removed in sensitivity analyses, the overall estimates of the effect size were no longer significant in any of the syntheses. CONCLUSIONS: The significant moderate effects for psychological skills training, mindfulness- and acceptance-based approaches, and imagery are not stable, and further trials with robust research methodology, such as randomized controlled trials, are requested for all types of psychological interventions aiming to enhance performance in athletes. Moreover, improved reporting standards and the provision of datasets in open science repositories are important to consider in future trials in sport psychology. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42017056677.