Video-based cognitive-behavioral intervention for COVID-19 anxiety: a randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Trends in psychiatry and psychotherapy 2021-04, Vol.43 (2), p.141-150
• Main Authors: Shabahang, Reza, Aruguete, Mara S, McCutcheon, Lynn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: anxiety; Anxiety - etiology; Anxiety - therapy; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - methods; cognitive-behavioral therapy; COVID-19; COVID-19 - complications; COVID-19 - psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Original; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; PSYCHIATRY; Surveys and Questionnaires; Video Recording - methods; video-based psychotherapy; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2237-6089; 2238-0019; 2238-0019
• DOI: 10.47626/2237-6089-2020-0056

Cognitive-behavioral interventions can be effective for relieving anxiety associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but complications such as social distancing, quarantine, a shortage of experts, and delayed care provisions have made it difficult to access face-to-face therapeutic interventions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a video-based cognitive-behavioral intervention for reducing COVID-19 anxiety. In the present randomized controlled trial, 150 college students with severe COVID-19 anxiety were randomly assigned to either an intervention (n = 75) or a waiting list control (n = 75) group. The intervention group participated in a video-based cognitive-behavioral program consisting of nine 15-20-minute sessions (three days a week for three weeks). Dependent measures included the COVID-19 Anxiety Questionnaire, Short Health Anxiety Inventory, Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3, Somatosensory Amplification Scale, Experience of Parasocial Interaction Scale, and Source Credibility Scale. Participants who were randomly assigned to the cognitive-behavioral program reported high parasocial interaction, source credibility, and satisfaction with the intervention. Eighty percent reported that the video-based intervention was a beneficial alternative to traditional face-to-face therapeutic intervention. At post-treatment evaluation, the video-based cognitive-behavioral intervention group showed a significant reduction in COVID-19 anxiety, health anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and somatosensory amplification when compared to the wait-listed control group. This study suggests that video-based cognitive-behavioral interventions can be an affordable, feasible, and effective method to reduce anxiety during a large-scale pandemic.