Effectiveness of HabitWorks and Symptom Tracking for Anxiety and Depression

HabitWorks is a personalized, transdiagnostic, smartphone-delivered interpretation bias intervention. Our pilot studies of HabitWorks revealed good acceptability, feasibility, and target engagement in a variety of populations (Beard, Ramadurai, et al., 2021; Beard, Beckham, et al., 2021). Our next step is to test effectiveness for anxiety and depression symptoms in a larger, community sample. Results will provide pilot data to support an R01 effectiveness trial. We will randomize adults with anxiety or depression to HabitWorks or a credible control arm and examine effects on interpretation bias, symptoms, and functioning.

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥ 18 at the time of consent (19 in Nebraska, 21 in Puerto Rico based on age of consent)
• Current US resident
• Total score ≥ 3 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (Kroenke et al., 2003) or Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (Spitzer et al., 2006), indicating at least mild depression and/or anxiety symptoms
• 24-hour access to an iPhone smartphone
• ability to understand English

Exclusion criteria

• No current psychiatric symptoms that would prevent informed consent, understanding of research procedures, or ability to complete the study (e.g., active symptoms of psychosis, mania)
• No medical symptoms that would prevent informed consent, understanding of research procedures, or ability to complete the study (e.g., physical disability)