Effectiveness of transdiagnostic seminars to support patients with common mental disorders: a multi-service practice research network study.

BACKGROUND: This was a multi-site evaluation of psycho-educational transdiagnostic seminars (TDS) as a pre-treatment intervention to enhance the effectiveness and utilisation of high-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). AIMS: To evaluate the effectiveness of TDS combined with high-intensity CBT (TDS+CBT) versus a matched sample receiving CBT only. Second, to determine the consistency of results across participating services which employed CBT+TDS. Finally, to determine the acceptability of TDS across patients with different psychological disorders. METHOD: 106 patients across three services voluntarily attended TDS while on a waiting list for CBT (TDS+CBT). Individual and pooled service pre-post treatment effect sizes were calculated using measures of depression, anxiety and functional impairment. Effectiveness and completion rates for TDS+CBT were compared with a propensity score matched sample from an archival dataset of cases who received high-intensity CBT only. RESULTS: Pre-post treatment effect sizes for TDS+CBT were comparable to the matched sample. Recovery rates were greater for the group receiving TDS; however, this was not statistically significant. Greater improvements were observed during the waiting-list period for patients who had received TDS for depression (d = 0.49 compared with d = 0.07) and anxiety (d = 0.36 compared with d = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this new evidence found a trend for TDS improving symptoms while awaiting CBT across three separate IAPT services. The effectiveness of TDS now warrants further exploration through an appropriately sized randomised control trial.

Improving the efficiency of psychological treatment using outcome feedback technology.

AIMS: This study evaluated the impact of applying computerized outcome feedback (OF) technology in a stepped care psychological service offering low and high intensity therapies for depression and anxiety. METHODS: A group of therapists were trained to use OF based on routine outcome monitoring using depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) measures. Therapists regularly reviewed expected treatment response graphs with patients and discussed cases that were "not on track" in clinical supervision. Clinical outcomes data were collected for all patients treated by this group (N = 594), six months before (controls = 349) and six months after the OF training (OF cases = 245). Symptom reductions in PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were compared between controls and OF cases using longitudinal multilevel modelling. Treatment duration and costs were compared using MANOVA. Qualitative interviews with therapists (N = 15) and patients (N = 6) were interpreted using thematic analysis. RESULTS: OF technology was generally acceptable and feasible to integrate in routine practice. No significant between-group differences were found in post-treatment PHQ-9 or GAD-7 measures. However, OF cases had significantly lower average duration and cost of treatment compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: After adopting OF into their practice, this group of therapists attained similar clinical outcomes but within a shorter space of time and at a reduced average cost per treatment episode. We conclude that OF can improve the efficiency of stepped care.

Using Psychoeducation and Role Induction to Improve Completion Rates in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Pre-treatment role induction interventions have been suggested to potentially enhance attendance and clinical outcomes in psychotherapy. AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a programme of three transdiagnostic seminars (TDS) for patients with common mental disorders accessing cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in primary care. TDS included CBT psychoeducation and role induction. METHOD: A random sample of patients (n = 49) participated in TDS followed by CBT (TDS+CBT) and they were compared with matched controls (n = 49) accessing usual CBT. TDS participants rated the relevance and quality of this intervention using an acceptability questionnaire (AQ). Treatment completion (vs dropout) rates were compared across groups using chi-square tests. Post-treatment changes in depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) symptoms were compared between groups using analysis of covariance controlling for potential confounders. Analyses were based on intention-to-treat principles. RESULTS: Mean AQ ratings of the TDS intervention were comparable across diagnostic groups (p = .05). Treatment completion rates were significantly higher (p = .02) in the TDS+CBT group (87.8%) by comparison with usual CBT (68.8%). However, no significant differences in post-treatment symptom changes were found for depression (p = .34) or anxiety measures (p = .71). CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating a psychoeducational role induction prior to CBT significantly improved treatment retention, but not overall symptom reductions.