Internet treatment for depression: a randomized controlled trial comparing clinician vs. technician assistance

Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) for depression is effective when guided by a clinician, less so if unguided. Would guidance from a technician be as effective as guidance from a clinician? Randomized controlled non-inferiority trial comparing three groups: Clinician-assisted vs. t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2010-06, Vol.5 (6), p.e10939-e10939
Main Authors: Titov, Nickolai, Andrews, Gavin, Davies, Matthew, McIntyre, Karen, Robinson, Emma, Solley, Karen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Anxiety
Behavior modification
Behavioral medicine
Clinical trials
Cognitive ability
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Depression - therapy
Electronic mail systems
Ethics
Female
Health Personnel
Health surveys
Humans
Internet
Male
Medical research
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Mental Health
Mental health care
Mental health services
Mental Health/Anxiety Disorders
Mental Health/Mood Disorders
Middle Aged
Psychiatry
Psychotherapy
Questionnaires
Randomization
Self help
Surveys and Questionnaires
Treatment Outcome
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) for depression is effective when guided by a clinician, less so if unguided. Would guidance from a technician be as effective as guidance from a clinician? Randomized controlled non-inferiority trial comparing three groups: Clinician-assisted vs. technician-assisted vs. delayed treatment. Community-based volunteers applied to the VirtualClinic (www.virtualclinic.org.au) research program, and 141 participants with major depressive disorder were randomized. Participants in the clinician- and technician-assisted groups received access to an iCBT program for depression comprising 6 online lessons, weekly homework assignments, and weekly supportive contact over a treatment period of 8 weeks. Participants in the clinician-assisted group also received access to a moderated online discussion forum. The main outcome measures were the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Patient Health QUESTIONnaire-9 Item (PHQ-9). Completion rates were high, and at post-treatment, both treatment groups reduced scores on the BDI-II (p
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0010939