Project: Comparing the effectiveness of computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with other self-help treatment options
Target group: 100 adults aged 18 years + who presented with mild to moderate anxiety and/or depression, and not receiving any other form of psychological treatment or counselling
Settings: Participants were referred from their general practice in the London borough of Bexley. The service was publicised to local GPs by email, service development meetings, posters and leaflets.
Intervention: Participants were allocated to one of three self-help CBT options; 1. The Beating the Blues online CBT programme, 2. Workbooks on Overcoming Depression and Anxiety, 3. The Living Life to the Full online CBT programme
Support offered: All tools were provided alongside the support of a single research coordinator who received initial training in the use of all three self-help CBT resources. The support differed slightly in each group:
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Beating the Blues – after the first support session the participants used the materials independently, but could contact the research coordinator if they needed to, then the support worker reviewed progress at eight weeks.
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Living Life to the Full – after the first support session participants had two telephone support sessions at session 4 and 6 and also a review at session at session eight.
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Overcoming Depression and Low Mood and Overcoming Anxiety workbooks – two face to face support sessions were provided initially, then participants received a telephone appointment at week four and a final appointment to review progress at week eight.
Outcomes: Only 50 out of the 100 completed the interventions – there was no different in drop-rate in all three groups. The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE) outcome measure shows a significant reduction in depression and anxiety in all three groups and that this was sustained at 6 month follow up. There was no significant different in improvement between the three groups.
What else? The study demonstrated that the three self-help CBT interventions produced a clinical benefit for adults with mild to moderate depression and anxiety.
