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Clients independently applying Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) skills is an important outcome of CBT-based treatments. The relationship between posttherapeutic CBT skills usage and clinical outcomes remains under-researched-especially after internet-delivered CBT (iCBT).Explore contemporaneous and lagged effects of posttherapeutic CBT skills usage frequency on iCBT follow-up outcomes.Nested within a randomized controlled trial, 241 participants received 8-week supported iCBT for anxiety and/or depression, completing measures of anxiety, depression, functional impairment, and CBT skills usage frequency at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up. Cross-lagged panel models evaluated primary aims.While analyses support a contemporaneous relationship between anxiety, depression, functional impairment, and CBT skills usage frequency, no consistent lagged effects were observed.Findings align with qualitative research but the role of CBT skills usage in the maintenance of iCBT effects remains unclear. Innovative research modeling temporal and possibly circular relationships between CBT skill usage and clinical outcomes is needed to inform iCBT optimization.

To investigate post-treatment relapse and remission rates 3, 6 and 9 months after completion of an acute phase of a clinician-supported internet-delivered cognitive-behavioural therapy (iCBT) for anxiety and depressive symptoms, within a routine care setting.Secondary analysis from a 12-month pragmatic randomized-controlled trial delivered within the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme in England. Participants in the intervention arm were included if they met criteria for reliable recovery from depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) at post-treatment assessment. Survival analysis was used to assess durability of treatment effects and determine predictors to relapse at 3-, 6- and 9-month follow-up. Hazard ratios predicting time-to-relapse were estimated with semi-parametric Cox proportional hazards model.Of the 241 participants in the intervention arm, 89 participants met the criteria for reliable recovery from depression and anxiety at the post-treatment assessment. Of these 89 eligible cases, 29.2% relapsed within the 9-month period, with 70.8% remaining in remission at 9 months post-treatment. Of those who relapsed, 53.8% experienced a relapse of depression and anxiety; 7.7% experienced a relapse of depression only; and 38.4% experienced a relapse of anxiety only. Younger age, having a long-term condition, and residual symptoms of anxiety at end-of-treatment were all significant predictors of relapse.This study is the first to explore the remission and relapse rates after an acute phase of iCBT treatment, within a routine, stepped-care setting. The results add to the scarce literature on the durability of the effects of iCBT treatment in routine care settings, where patients are not typically followed up after receiving a completed course of treatment.

Background Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy (iCBT) is effective in treating anxiety and depression. Research on how these interventions operate is scarce. This study explored whether emotion regulation skills and positive beliefs about rumination were affected by iCBT and if these constructs mediated changes in depression and anxiety. Methods This is a secondary analysis of a pragmatic randomized waitlist-controlled trial testing the effectiveness of supported iCBT. Adults with at least mild symptoms of depression or anxiety were included. Depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), positive beliefs about rumination (PBRS-A) and two emotion regulation skills: cognitive reappraisal (ERQ-A) and expressive suppression (ERQ-S), were measured at baseline and 8-weeks post-treatment. Results The analyses included 358 participants, 71% were female. Median age was 29. Linear mixed models showed statistically significant differences along ERQ-A in favor of the iCBT group (b = 1.83, SE = 0.82, p = .026). Mediation analyses showed reductions in depression (b = 0.31, SE = 0.15, p = 0.043) and anxiety symptoms (b = 0.27, SE = 0.14, p = 0.057) were partially mediated by gains in ERQ-A. No effects were observed for PBRS-A and ERQ-S. Conclusions These results align with findings from face-to-face therapy and add to the scarce literature on mediators of effects of iCBT, contributing to the understanding of how these interventions operate. Since mediator and outcome variables were measured at the same time, partial mediation results should be interpreted with caution since the study design did not account for temporality and therefore causality effects cannot be confirmed. Trial Registration ISRCTN91967124.

Background Treatment dropout continues to be reported from internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) interventions, and lower completion rates are generally associated with lower treatment effect sizes. However, evidence is emerging to suggest that completion of a predefined number of modules is not always necessary for clinical benefit or consideration of the needs of each individual patient. Objective The aim of this study is to perform a qualitative analysis of patients’ experiences with an iCBT intervention in a routine care setting to achieve a deeper insight into the phenomenon of dropout. Methods A total of 15 purposively sampled participants (female: 8/15, 53%) from a larger parent randomized controlled trial were interviewed via telephone using a semistructured interview schedule that was developed based on the existing literature and research on dropout in iCBT. Data were analyzed using a descriptive-interpretive approach. Results The experience of treatment leading to dropout can be understood in terms of 10 domains: relationship to technology, motivation to start, background knowledge and attitudes toward iCBT, perceived change in motivation, usage of the program, changes due to the intervention, engagement with content, experience interacting with the supporter, experience of web-based communication, and termination of the supported period. Conclusions Patients who drop out of treatment can be distinguished in terms of their change in motivation: those who felt ready to leave treatment early and those who had negative reasons for dropping out. These 2 groups of participants have different treatment experiences, revealing the potential attributes and nonattributes of dropout. The reported between-group differences should be examined further to consider those attributes that are strongly descriptive of the experience and regarded less important than those that have become loosely affiliated.

BackgroundPrevious research has shown a strong relationship between financial difficulties and mental health problems. Psychological factors such as hope and worry about finances appear to be an important factor in this relationship.ObjectiveTo develop an online based psychological intervention (Space from Money Worries) to tackle the psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between poor mental health and financial difficulties, and to conduct an initial evaluation of the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of the intervention.Materials and Methods30 participants accessing Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services completed GAD-7 to measure anxiety and PHQ-9 to measure depression upon signing up to the online intervention and again 4 to 8 weeks after this. Participants also completed a measure of perceived financial distress/wellbeing and a “Money and Mental Health Scale” constructed for the evaluation.ResultsOverall, 77% (n = 23) completed the intervention and follow-up assessments. Intent to Treat Analysis showed that there were statistically significant improvements in symptoms of depression, anxiety, improved perceived financial wellbeing and reduced scores on the money and mental health scale. The vast majority of participants rated each module positively.ConclusionsSpace from Money Worries appears to be acceptable and may lead to improvements in mental health, perceived financial wellbeing and a reduced relationship between financial difficulties and poor mental health. However, future research with a larger sample and a control group are needed to confirm that these changes are due to the intervention.

Low-intensity interventions for common mental disorders (CMD) address issues such as clinician shortages and barriers to accessing care. However, there is a lack of research into their comparative effectiveness in routine care. We aimed to compare treatment effects of three such interventions, utilizing four years' worth of routine clinical data. Users completing a course of guided self-help bibliotherapy (GSH), internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) or psychoeducational group therapy (PGT) from a stepped-care service within the NHS in England were included. Propensity score models (stratification and weighting) were used to control for allocation bias and determine average treatment effect (ATE) between the interventions. 21,215 users comprised the study sample (GSH = 12,896, iCBT = 6862, PGT = 1457). Adherence-to-treatment rates were higher in iCBT. All interventions showed significant improvements in depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7) and functioning (WSAS) scores, with largest effect sizes for iCBT. Both propensity score models showed a significant ATE in favour of iCBT versus GSH and PGT, and in favour of GSH versus PGT. Discernible differences in effectiveness were seen for iCBT in comparison with GSH and PGT. Given variance in delivery mode and human resources between different low-intensity interventions, building on these findings would be valuable for future service provision and policy decision making.

Background While the acquisition and application of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) skills is a core component and likely mechanism of effect maintenance in all CBT-based treatments, the extent of post-therapeutic CBT skills usage among internet-delivered CBT (iCBT) clients remains under-researched. Method Nested within a pragmatic randomized controlled trial, 241 participants received an 8-week supported iCBT intervention for anxiety and/or depression and answered open-ended questions about their use and experience of CBT skills at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up. Recurrent, cross-sectional qualitative analysis following the descriptive and interpretive approach was used to create a taxonomy, through which all qualitative data was coded. Results In total 479 qualitative responses across 181 participants were analyzed. Participants reported using a wide range of CBT skills and associated helpful and hindering experiences and impacts. The reasons for discontinued CBT skills usage were diverse, ranging from rare adverse effects to healthy adaptation. Conclusion The study shows how clients receiving iCBT in routine care learn CBT skills during treatment and utilize them in productive ways post-treatment. Findings coincide with similar research in face-to-face CBT and may inform future research to drive innovation and iCBT intervention development.

Background Mood tracking is commonly employed within a range of mental health interventions. Physical activity and sleep are also important for contextualizing mood data but can be difficult to track manually and rely on retrospective recall. Smartwatches could enhance self-monitoring by addressing difficulties in recall of sleep and physical activity and reducing the burden on patients in terms of remembering to track and the effort of tracking. This feasibility study will explore the acceptance of a smartwatch app for self-monitoring of mood, sleep, and physical activity, in an internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) for depression offered in a routine care setting. Methods Seventy participants will be randomly allocated to (i) iCBT intervention plus smartwatch app or (ii) iCBT intervention alone. Patient acceptance will be measured longitudinally using a theory-based acceptance questionnaire to understand and compare the evolution of acceptance of the technology-delivered self-report in the two groups. A post-treatment interview will explore participants subjective experience of using the smartwatch. Engagement with the intervention, including self-report, and clinical outcomes, will be measured across both groups to assess for any differences. Implications This is the first study investigating the evolution of patient acceptance of smartwatch self-report in an iCBT delivered intervention in a clinical sample. Through an engaging and convenient means of capturing ecologically valid mood data, the study has the potential to show that smartwatches are an acceptable means for patient self-monitoring within iCBT interventions for depression and support potential use-cases for smartwatches in the context of mental health interventions in general.

BACKGROUND Treatment dropout continues to be reported from internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) interventions, and lower completion rates are generally associated with lower treatment effect sizes. However, evidence is emerging to suggest that completion of a predefined number of modules is not always necessary for clinical benefit or consideration of the needs of each individual patient. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to perform a qualitative analysis of patients’ experiences with an iCBT intervention in a routine care setting to achieve a deeper insight into the phenomenon of dropout. METHODS A total of 15 purposively sampled participants (female: 8/15, 53%) from a larger parent randomized controlled trial were interviewed via telephone using a semistructured interview schedule that was developed based on the existing literature and research on dropout in iCBT. Data were analyzed using a descriptive-interpretive approach. RESULTS The experience of treatment leading to dropout can be understood in terms of 10 domains: relationship to technology, motivation to start, background knowledge and attitudes toward iCBT, perceived change in motivation, usage of the program, changes due to the intervention, engagement with content, experience interacting with the supporter, experience of web-based communication, and termination of the supported period. CONCLUSIONS Patients who drop out of treatment can be distinguished in terms of their change in motivation: those who felt ready to leave treatment early and those who had negative reasons for dropping out. These 2 groups of participants have different treatment experiences, revealing the potential attributes and nonattributes of dropout. The reported between-group differences should be examined further to consider those attributes that are strongly descriptive of the experience and regarded less important than those that have become loosely affiliated. CLINICALTRIAL

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Utilization of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) for treating depression and anxiety disorders in stepped-care models, such as the UK’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), is a potential solution for addressing the treatment gap in mental health. We investigated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of iCBT when fully integrated within IAPT stepped-care settings. We conducted an 8-week pragmatic randomized controlled trial with a 2:1 (iCBT intervention: waiting-list) allocation, for participants referred to an IAPT Step 2 service with depression and anxiety symptoms (Trial registration: ISRCTN91967124). The primary outcomes measures were PHQ-9 (depressive symptoms) and GAD-7 (anxiety symptoms) and WSAS (functional impairment) as a secondary outcome. The cost-effectiveness analysis was based on EQ-5D-5L (preference-based health status) to elicit the quality-adjust life year (QALY) and a modified-Client Service Receipt Inventory (care resource-use). Diagnostic interviews were administered at baseline and 3 months. Three-hundred and sixty-one participants were randomized (iCBT, 241; waiting-list, 120). Intention-to-treat analyses showed significant interaction effects for the PHQ-9 (b = −2.75, 95% CI −4.00, −1.50) and GAD-7 (b = −2.79, 95% CI −4.00, −1.58) in favour of iCBT at 8-week and further improvements observed up to 12-months. Over 8-weeks the probability of cost-effectiveness was 46.6% if decision makers are willing to pay £30,000 per QALY, increasing to 91.2% when the control-arm’s outcomes and costs were extrapolated over 12-months. Results indicate that iCBT for depression and anxiety is effective and potentially cost-effective in the long-term within IAPT. Upscaling the use of iCBT as part of stepped care could help to enhance IAPT outcomes. The pragmatic trial design supports the ecological validity of the findings.

Internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (iCBT) is an effective treatment for depression and anxiety disorders. However longitudinal qualitative research into the client's subjective experience of this form of treatment ?in the wild' is relatively scarce. We present an analysis of secondary outcomes in a naturalistic RCT conducted within the UK's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme. We evaluated clients' expectations, experience, and context of usage of iCBT, across three timepoints. Results are discussed in terms of the creation of a therapeutic space online, the impact of hope, expectations and personal factors on the therapeutic experience, iCBT as "therapy on the go" and developing skills for life. While iCBT on the whole provides a positive, supportive and therapeutic experience for clients, the study identified managing expectations, polarized preferences, momentary help-seeking and long-term support as important aspects of the experience to consider in future design.

Insomnia is a highly prevalent, often comorbid disorder associated with difficulties sleeping, remaining awake, and impaired quality of life. Internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia (ICBT-I11 ICBT-I, internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.) has the potential to help large numbers of people with sleep disorders. This study investigated the preliminary effects of an 8-week guided ICBT-I intervention within a routine stepped-care service. Fifty-six (N = 56) patients consented to participate. The primary outcome was assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and secondary outcome measures included the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7), and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS), each administered at baseline and weekly thereafter. Intention-to-treat analyses indicated that ICBT-I produced statistically significant pre- to post- reductions in symptoms of insomnia, yielding within-group effects of d = 0.82 suggesting a potential for improved outcomes. Similar improvements were seen across secondary outcomes, with small-to-medium post-treatment within-group effects observed: depression (d = 0.63), anxiety (d = 0.39), and functional impairment (d = 0.31). These findings are supportive of the intervention's potential effectiveness and speak to the importance of several implementation factors that could enhance the effects of the intervention. The results contribute to the growing evidence base for digital interventions designed to help those with sleep difficulties and will inform the design of a future controlled evaluation of ICBT-I under routine clinical settings.

Highlights • First qualitative study on the benefits of iCBT for those who do not meet clinical thresholds • Successful application of cognitive and behavioural strategies reported • Increased insight/awareness and improved self-efficacy reported • The format of online delivery was reported as helpful. • Findings align with previous face-to-face and iCBT treatments.

Depression and anxiety are common mental health disorders worldwide. The UK’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme is part of the National Health Service (NHS) designed to provide a stepped care approach to treating people with anxiety and depressive disorders. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is widely used, with computerised and internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT and iCBT, respectively) being a suitable IAPT approved treatment alternative for step 2, low- intensity treatment. iCBT has accumulated a large empirical base for treating depression and anxiety disorders. However, the cost-effectiveness and impact of these interventions in the longer-term is not routinely assessed by IAPT services. The current study aims to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of internet-delivered interventions for symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders in IAPT. The study is a parallel-groups, randomised controlled trial examining the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of iCBT interventions for depression and anxiety disorders, against a waitlist control group. The iCBT treatments are of 8 weeks duration and will be supported by regular post-session feedback by Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, during, and at the end of the 8-week treatment and at 3, 6, 9, and 12-month follow-up. A diagnostic interview will be employed at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Participants in the waitlist control group will complete measures at baseline and week 8, at which point they will receive access to the treatment. All adult users of the Berkshire NHS Trust IAPT Talking Therapies Step 2 services will be approached to participate and measured against set eligibility criteria. Primary outcome measures will assess anxiety and depressive symptoms using the GAD-7 and PHQ-9, respectively. Secondary outcome measures will allow for the evaluation of long-term outcomes, mediators and moderators of outcome, and cost-effectiveness of treatment. Analysis will be conducted on a per protocol and intention-to-treat basis. This study seeks to evaluate the immediate and longer-term impact, as well as the cost effectiveness of internet-delivered interventions for depression and anxiety. This study will contribute to the already established literature on internet-delivered interventions worldwide. The study has the potential to show how iCBT can enhance service provision, and the findings will likely be generalisable to other health services. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN ISRCTN91967124. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN91967124 . Web: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN91967124 . Clinicaltrials.gov : NCT03188575. Trial registration date: June 8, 2017 (prospectively registered).