Therapist Assisted Online Treatment for Anxiety

Therapist assisted, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (TAI-CBT) has been shown to be effective with patients who have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in multiple studies from several countries, including: the United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Despite strong evidence of efficacy, TAI-CBT has not been offered in the USA. TAI-CBT could provide an effective alternative to face-to-face psychotherapy that would expand the availability and convenience of evidence- based treatment anywhere clinical availability is limited. The University of Florida (UF) has historically had greater demand for psychotherapy than the available supply of psychotherapy hours resulting in waiting lists for students needing to receive treatment for anxiety. Anxiety disorders interfere with memory and concentration thus impairing academic functioning. Students who must wait for treatment for 3-4 weeks are at risk for failing courses or dropping out of school. If TAI-CBT proved to be effective with UF students, providing it could increase the number of students who would receive effective and timely treatment. This project will create a 6-8 session therapist assisted on-line treatment for anxiety disorder. The investigators will offer TAI-CBT as an experimental treatment in summer and fall, 2013 comparing outcomes to face-to-face individual therapy, group therapy, and wait-list controls. The investigators hypothesize that students receiving TAI-CBT will have a reduction in anxiety symptoms comparable to face-to-face counseling and greater than wait list controls.

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Key information

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders Mental Disorders

Age range

18 year–35 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Counseling and Wellness Center, University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida, 32611-2662, United States

About this study

Participation is restricted to currently enrolled students at the University of Florida who have paid the health fee, and who are seeking treatment for anxiety and the Counseling and Wellness Center. Students who meet criteria and agree to participate will select from two treatments, individual face-to-face or therapist assisted on-line treatment. Prior to each session of individual therapy, or on-line treatment participants will complete the Behavioral Health Measure-20 is a normal part of treatment at the CWC.

If a participant is assigned to the Therapist-assisted on-line (TAO) treatment he/she will be asked to complete a seven module on-line treatment. Each module includes interactive, educational materials and weekly assignments. Subjects may participate in an on-line discussion forum with other participants for each module. The forum will use only first names or a pseudonym to protect confidentiality. In addition, participants in the TAO treatment will receive a 10-20 minute video-conference weekly with a doctoral level therapist. Therapists will review assignments, answer questions, and help to apply the educational materials contained in the modules to the subjects life.

The video conference will be on Adobe Connect. This involves a free download for a computer, tablet, or smart phone. Medical records will be kept for ten years, per UF policy. Adobe connect is HIPAA and HITECH compliant. Research records will be de-identified and use an identifier number that cannot be connected to individual participants.

Only 2 arms were actually used, Face-to-face therapy and TAO treatment.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

students,
mild to moderate anxiety,
has appropriate computer equipment

Exclusion criteria

Severe depression or anxiety,
suicidal in past 12 months,
not stable on medications for at least 30 days prior to beginning study treatments

Treatment and study plan

Therapist assisted online treatment

Behavioral

7 weekly interactive online modules with 10-15 minute counselor consultation via video conference.

face-to-face individual therapy

Behavioral

weekly individual counseling as usual.

Primary outcomes

Behavioral Health Measure-20 (BHM-20)

Time frame: The three measures will be administered weekly from initial enrollment in the study for 7 weeks and again at 6 month follow up. The first assessment of patients will begin May 7 and will continue through January, 2014.

twenty item likert-type measure of distress, well-being, overall mental health functioning.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Florida

Other

Registry information

Acronym: TAO-anxiety

Important dates

Study start: 2013
Primary completion: 2014
Study completion: 2014
First posted: Mar 22, 2013
Registry last updated: Aug 31, 2016

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed