Therapist Assisted Online Treatment for Anxiety
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Anxiety |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - 26 |
| Updated: | 10/3/2013 |
| Start Date: | April 2013 |
| End Date: | January 2015 |
| Contact: | Geoff Lee, Ph.D. |
| Email: | leega@ufl.edu |
| Phone: | 352-392-1575 |
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.
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 three
treatments, individual face-to-face, group therapy, or therapist assisted on-line treatment.
Prior to each session of individual therapy, group therapy, or on-line treatment
participants will complete three short measures of psychological symptoms, one of these, the
Behavioral Health Measure-20 is a normal part of treatment at the CWC. In addition
participants will complete the GAD-7, which contains seven, 4-point Likert-type items, and
the Penn State worry questionnaire (PSWQ), which consists of 16 Likert-type items. These
additional instruments will take about 2-5 minutes to complete prior to each session.
In addition, the researchers will contact participants by e-mail 6 months after completion
of treatment to ask them to complete the instruments as a follow-up. If a participant is
assigned to individual or group therapy he/she will receive this mode of treatment as usual
at the Counseling and Wellness Center at the University of Florida.
If a particpant 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 videoconference 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.
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
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