AnxietyNCT04228575
Optimizing Duration of Therapist-guided Internet-delivered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
A study testing Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy in people with Anxiety and Depression, run by University of Regina at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
Depression and anxiety are common and prevalent conditions that are frequently under treated. In an attempt to increase timely and accessible psychological treatment, Internet-delivered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (ICBT) has emerged. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Anxiety, Depression
- What is being tested?
- Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 410 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2020to 1 Jun 2021
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 18 years or older
- Endorse symptoms of anxiety or depression
- Resident of Saskatchewan
- Access to a computer and the Internet
Who cannot join
- Have a severe psychiatric illness (e.g. psychosis)
- Assessed as being at high risk of suicide
- Report severe problems with alcohol or drugs
- Report severe cognitive impairment
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Canada1 site
Online Therapy Unit, University of Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 0A2
About this study
Official title: Optimizing Duration of Therapist-guided Internet-delivered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Anxiety and Depression
Depression and anxiety are common and prevalent conditions that are frequently under treated. In an attempt to increase timely and accessible psychological treatment, Internet-delivered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (ICBT) has emerged. ICBT involves delivering therapeutic content to manage depression and or anxiety via structured online lessons. This is often combined with brief therapist guidance, for example once per week for 8 weeks via secure messaging or phone calls. Although outcomes of ICBT are very impressive, there is room for improvement in terms of completion rates and outcomes. Feedback from patients suggest that some patients would prefer longer term support or follow-up care.
In this two-factorial randomized controlled trial, the investigators aim to contribute to the literature by examining whether the efficacy of ICBT is improved by offering an extended period of support to clients (from 8 weeks to 12 weeks) and being offered a booster session at 16 weeks after treatment enrollment (yes vs no). Follow-up assessments will be conducted at 8, 16 and 26 weeks after treatment enrollment. Primary outcomes are reduced anxiety and depression. Secondary outcomes include reduced panic, social anxiety, trauma, quality of life, disability, work productivity, and healthcare use.
Read the detailed description
Past research of ICBT offered in routine care has found that patients and therapists often recommend "personalizing" the delivery of ICBT, for example, by increasing the length of time therapist support is available or offering booster sessions after treatment has ended. To date, in terms of ICBT, there has been limited research on the impact of extending support after treatment materials have been delivered or offering a booster session.
In this trial, the investigators will examine if the efficacy of ICBT is improved by offering an extended period of support to clients (from 8 weeks to 12 weeks) or by being offered a booster session at 16 weeks after treatment enrollment (yes vs no). Follow-up assessments will be conducted at 8, 16 and 26 weeks after treatment enrollment. Primary outcomes are reduced anxiety and depression. Secondary outcomes include reduced panic, social anxiety, trauma, quality of life, disability, work productivity, and healthcare use. The impact of these factors on intervention usage (e.g., completion rates, log-ins, emails sent) and treatment satisfaction will also be examined.
- Conditions
- Anxiety, Depression
- Being tested
- Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy
- Keywords
- anxiety, depression, internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy, randomized controlled trial, patient-centred, personalized therapy, knowledge implementation, mental health system, therapist-assistance, booster session, factorial design
- Medical subject headings
- Anxiety Disorders, Depression
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapyBehavioural
All clients will receive the Wellbeing Course developed at Macquarie University, Australia. The Wellbeing Course is a transdiagnostic Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour intervention targeting symptoms of depressive and anxiety disorders. It comprises 5 online lessons targeting: 1) symptom identification and the cognitive behavioural model; 2) thought monitoring and challenging; 3) de-arousal strategies and pleasant activity scheduling; 4) graduated exposure; and 5) relapse prevention. Materials are presented in a didactic (i.e., text-based with visual images) and case-enhanced learning format (i.e., educational stories demonstrate the application of skills) and include homework activities. Lessons are released gradually in a standardized order over 8 weeks. Phone calls will only be made if there is a significant clinical issue requiring therapist attention that cannot be addressed over email (e.g., sudden increase in symptoms). Therapists will spend ~15 mins. per week/per client.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Extended Contact | Experimental | Clients in the Extended Contact condition will be asked at the 6 week mark if they like they can extend their treatment and receive up to 12 weeks of support. They will be informed that this may be helpful if they feel they have fallen behind in reviewing of the materials, if they would like to receive support while they work on supplementary resources or if they would like extended support while they work on core lessons. If they would like additional support, participants will answer questions presented on the website about their desire for this additional support what they would like to focus on during this time. Those clients who indicate that they would like this extended support will automatically have their therapists check-in with them for up to 12 weeks. Those that do not request the additional support will end treatment as planned at the end of 8 weeks. Receives: Behavioral: Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy |
| 8 Week ICBT no Booster | Experimental | In the standard condition, clients will receive 8 weeks of therapist support. They will not be given the option to extend their treatment and support to 12 weeks. The booster course will not be offered in this condition. Receives: Behavioral: Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy |
| Extended Contact with Booster | Experimental | Clients in the Extended Contact condition will receive an email at the 6 week mark letting them know that they if they like they can extend their treatment and receive up to 12 weeks of support. At week 6, clients will answer questions on the website about whether they would like this additional support or not and what they would like to focus on during this time. Clients who indicate they would like this extended support will automatically have their therapists check-in with them for up to 12 weeks.
They will also be told that at 16 weeks they will have access to a booster session (online materials that go over core skills such as thought challenging, deep breathing, behavioural activation, and graded exposure). At 16 weeks, they will be sent an email reminder to log in for the booster course. The therapist will send a supportive email to the client offering to assist with any challenges the client reports in the check-in questionnaire by email or phone call over the next 2 weeks. Receives: Behavioral: Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy |
| 8 week ICBT with Booster | Experimental | Clients in the booster condition will be told that at 16 weeks they will have access to a booster session (online materials that go over core skills such as thought challenging, deep breathing, behavioural activation, and graded exposure). At 16 weeks, they will be sent an email reminder to log in for the booster course. The therapist will send a supportive email to the client offering to assist with any challenges the client reports in the check-in questionnaire by email or phone call over the next 2 weeks. Receives: Behavioral: Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9)
Change in depression symptoms. 9 items are summed into a total score, with scores ranging from 0 to 27. Higher scores are associated with higher depression severity.
Measured: Baseline (Screening), weeks 1-12, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7)
Change in anxiety symptoms. 7 items are summed into a total score ranging from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating more severe self-reported levels of anxiety.
Measured: Baseline (Screening), weeks 1-12 and 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Secondary outcomes (10)
Panic Disorder Severity Scale Self-report
Change in panic symptoms. Items are summed into a total score. Total scores range between 0 and 28, with higher scores representing more severe self-reported symptoms of panic.
Measured: Baseline (Screening), week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (6 items)
Change in social anxiety symptoms. Items from the two measures are summed into a total score. Total scores range between 0 and 24, with higher scores representing more severe self-reported symptoms of social phobia
Measured: Baseline (Screening), week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Social Phobia Scale-Short form (6 items)
Change in social anxiety symptoms. Items from the two measures are summed into a total score. Total scores range between 0 and 24, with higher scores representing more severe self-reported symptoms of social phobia
Measured: Baseline (Screening), week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Quality of Life (EQ-ED-5L)
Change in quality of life. Items are summed into six sub-total scores. The first five sub-total scores respectively assess various domains of quality of life (i.e., mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression).
Each of the five sub-total scores range between 1 and 5, with higher scores representing greater self-reported severity and impairment in these various domains. The last sub-total score provides an overall index of health and can range between 0 and 100, with higher scores representing better self-reported health.
Measured: Baseline (Screening), week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Mental Health Service Use, Medication, and Employment
This measure is 19 items and measures direct and indirect cost of mental health symptoms. Frequency of visits to health specialists (e.g., family doctor, walk-in clinic, psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, nurse/community nurse/psychiatric nurse) or use of health services (e.g. psychiatric day-patient/part-time treatment, alcohol or drug treatment program, self-help group, ambulance/paramedics, crisis service, hospital admission) in the previous 3 months for mental health reasons are collected. Medication use/changes in previous 3 months for mental health concerns. Questions about occupation, hours in contract, and time off work in previous 3 months for mental health concerns.
Measured: Baseline (Screening) and Week 26 week from enrollment
Treatment Satisfaction
Measure includes 19 questions assessing satisfaction with various aspects of Internet-CBT and also negative effects of treatment
Measured: Week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)
Measure includes 7 questions rated on a 0-4 point scale with higher scores indicative of higher levels of insomnia.
Measured: Baseline
Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS)
Higher total scores indicate a greater degree of impairment. Total scores range from 0 to 30. Scores in each of 3 specific life domains range from 0 to 10.
Measured: Baseline (Screening), week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5)
Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5). A checklist of common traumatic events used to establish the nature of the traumatic events a respondent has experienced. This questionnaire is not intended to be scored but is used for descriptive purposes.
Measured: Baseline (Screening)
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
Higher total scores indicate greater severity of posttraumatic stress. Scores range from 0 to 80.
Measured: Baseline (Screening), week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Jan 2020
- Study start1 Jan 2020
- Primary completion1 Jun 2021
- Study completion1 Jun 2021
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for AnxietyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 410 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Regina
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Heather Hadjistavropoulos, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Regina
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04228575
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2019-197
- Status last verified
- Dec 2021
- First submitted
- 9 Jan 2020
- Last updated
- 16 Dec 2021
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Dec 2021. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Optimizing Duration of Therapist-guided Internet-delivered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Anxiety and Depression
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04228575
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2019-197
- Conditions
- Anxiety, Depression
- Keywords
- anxiety, depression, internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy, randomized controlled trial, patient-centred, personalized therapy, knowledge implementation, mental health system
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 410 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of ReginaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jun 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Jun 2021 (actual)
- First posted
- 14 Jan 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Depression and anxiety are common and prevalent conditions that are frequently under treated. In an attempt to increase timely and accessible psychological treatment, Internet-delivered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (ICBT) has emerged. ICBT involves delivering therapeutic content to manage depression and or anxiety via structured online lessons. This is often combined with brief therapist guidance, for example once per week for 8 weeks via secure messaging or phone calls. Although outcomes of ICBT are very impressive, there is room for improvement in terms of completion rates and outcomes. Feedback from patients suggest that some patients would prefer longer term support or follow-up care.
In this two-factorial randomized controlled trial, the investigators aim to contribute to the literature by examining whether the efficacy of ICBT is improved by offering an extended period of support to clients (from 8 weeks to 12 weeks) and being offered a booster session at 16 weeks after treatment enrollment (yes vs no). Follow-up assessments will be conducted at 8, 16 and 26 weeks after treatment enrollment. Primary outcomes are reduced anxiety and depression. Secondary outcomes include reduced panic, social anxiety, trauma, quality of life, disability, work productivity, and healthcare use.
Detailed description
Past research of ICBT offered in routine care has found that patients and therapists often recommend "personalizing" the delivery of ICBT, for example, by increasing the length of time therapist support is available or offering booster sessions after treatment has ended. To date, in terms of ICBT, there has been limited research on the impact of extending support after treatment materials have been delivered or offering a booster session.
In this trial, the investigators will examine if the efficacy of ICBT is improved by offering an extended period of support to clients (from 8 weeks to 12 weeks) or by being offered a booster session at 16 weeks after treatment enrollment (yes vs no). Follow-up assessments will be conducted at 8, 16 and 26 weeks after treatment enrollment. Primary outcomes are reduced anxiety and depression. Secondary outcomes include reduced panic, social anxiety, trauma, quality of life, disability, work productivity, and healthcare use. The impact of these factors on intervention usage (e.g., completion rates, log-ins, emails sent) and treatment satisfaction will also be examined.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Extended Contact | Experimental | Behavioral: Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapyClients in the Extended Contact condition will be asked at the 6 week mark if they like they can extend their treatment and receive up to 12 weeks of support. They will be informed that this may be helpful if they feel they have fallen behind in reviewing of the materials, if they would like to receive support while they work on supplementary resources or if they would like extended support while they work on core lessons. If they would like additional support, participants will answer questions presented on the website about their desire for this additional support what they would like to focus on during this time. Those clients who indicate that they would like this extended support will automatically have their therapists check-in with them for up to 12 weeks. Those that do not request the additional support will end treatment as planned at the end of 8 weeks. |
| 8 Week ICBT no Booster | Experimental | Behavioral: Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapyIn the standard condition, clients will receive 8 weeks of therapist support. They will not be given the option to extend their treatment and support to 12 weeks. The booster course will not be offered in this condition. |
| Extended Contact with Booster | Experimental | Behavioral: Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapyClients in the Extended Contact condition will receive an email at the 6 week mark letting them know that they if they like they can extend their treatment and receive up to 12 weeks of support. At week 6, clients will answer questions on the website about whether they would like this additional support or not and what they would like to focus on during this time. Clients who indicate they would like this extended support will automatically have their therapists check-in with them for up to 12 weeks. They will also be told that at 16 weeks they will have access to a booster session (online materials that go over core skills such as thought challenging, deep breathing, behavioural activation, and graded exposure). At 16 weeks, they will be sent an email reminder to log in for the booster course. The therapist will send a supportive email to the client offering to assist with any challenges the client reports in the check-in questionnaire by email or phone call over the next 2 weeks. |
| 8 week ICBT with Booster | Experimental | Behavioral: Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapyClients in the booster condition will be told that at 16 weeks they will have access to a booster session (online materials that go over core skills such as thought challenging, deep breathing, behavioural activation, and graded exposure). At 16 weeks, they will be sent an email reminder to log in for the booster course. The therapist will send a supportive email to the client offering to assist with any challenges the client reports in the check-in questionnaire by email or phone call over the next 2 weeks. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- 18 years or older
- Endorse symptoms of anxiety or depression
- Resident of Saskatchewan
- Access to a computer and the Internet
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Have a severe psychiatric illness (e.g. psychosis)
- Assessed as being at high risk of suicide
- Report severe problems with alcohol or drugs
- Report severe cognitive impairment
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapyAll clients will receive the Wellbeing Course developed at Macquarie University, Australia. The Wellbeing Course is a transdiagnostic Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour intervention targeting symptoms of depressive and anxiety disorders. It comprises 5 online lessons targeting: 1) symptom identification and the cognitive behavioural model; 2) thought monitoring and challenging; 3) de-arousal strategies and pleasant activity scheduling; 4) graduated exposure; and 5) relapse prevention. Materials are presented in a didactic (i.e., text-based with visual images) and case-enhanced learning format (i.e., educational stories demonstrate the application of skills) and include homework activities. Lessons are released gradually in a standardized order over 8 weeks. Phone calls will only be made if there is a significant clinical issue requiring therapist attention that cannot be addressed over email (e.g., sudden increase in symptoms). Therapists will spend ~15 mins. per week/per client. | Behavioural | 8 Week ICBT no Booster, 8 week ICBT with Booster, Extended Contact, Extended Contact with Booster |
Primary outcome
Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9)
Time frame: Baseline (Screening), weeks 1-12, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Change in depression symptoms. 9 items are summed into a total score, with scores ranging from 0 to 27. Higher scores are associated with higher depression severity.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7)
Time frame: Baseline (Screening), weeks 1-12 and 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Change in anxiety symptoms. 7 items are summed into a total score ranging from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating more severe self-reported levels of anxiety.
10 secondary outcomes
Panic Disorder Severity Scale Self-report
Time frame: Baseline (Screening), week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (6 items)
Time frame: Baseline (Screening), week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Social Phobia Scale-Short form (6 items)
Time frame: Baseline (Screening), week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Quality of Life (EQ-ED-5L)
Time frame: Baseline (Screening), week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Mental Health Service Use, Medication, and Employment
Time frame: Baseline (Screening) and Week 26 week from enrollment
Treatment Satisfaction
Time frame: Week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)
Time frame: Baseline
Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS)
Time frame: Baseline (Screening), week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5)
Time frame: Baseline (Screening)
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
Time frame: Baseline (Screening), week 8, 16 and 26 week from enrollment
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Dec 2021.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Heather Hadjistavropoulos, PhD principal investigator
University of Regina
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy in people with Anxiety and Depression, run by University of Regina at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Dec 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) (time frame: Baseline (Screening), weeks 1-12, 16 and 26 week from enrollment). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Dec 2021; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.