Using online-cognitive behaviour therapy (Online-CBT) to treat general anxiety and worry among older adults: Is it effective and does client engagement matter?

An efficacy trial of therapist-assisted internet cognitive behaviour therapy for older adults with generalized anxiety

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN83626400

Enrollment

Registered

2013-09-27

Start date

2012-03-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2021-08-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Generalized anxiety disorder Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Interventions

Comparing active treatment (therapist-assisted Online-CBT) to a non-active control group (waitlist) The intervention is titled GAD Online for Older Adults, which is an Online-CBT prog

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Resident of Saskatchewan 2. Aged 60 years of age or older, either sex 3. Meets DSM-IV-TR criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder or sub-clinical criteria 4. Has regular access to a computer, Internet and printer 5. Comfortable using the Internet and writing e-mails

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Not a resident of Saskatchewan 2. Less than 60 years of age 3. Has no regular access to a computer and/or the internet 4. Currently receiving psychotherapeutic treatment elsewhere or in some other form 5. Meets criteria for current substance abuse (drugs or alcohol) 6. Meets current criteria for a psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder, or severe symptoms of depression, including suicidal ideation 7. Reports having a serious medical condition that may account for anxiety symptoms or may interfere with treatment (i.e., untreated thyroid disorder or other endocrine disorder, Parkinson?s disease, recent stroke, acute cardiac disease) 8. Currently cognitively impaired

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) 2. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) 3. Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) 4. Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated (PSWQ-A) These will be administered at baseline and post-treatment, as well as one-month follow-up for those randomized to receive the intervention.	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) 2. WHO-Quality of Life-BREF (WHO-QOL-BREF) 3. Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ) 4. Anxiety Change Expectancy Scale (ACES) 5. Therapeutic Alliance Questionnaire (TAQ) 6. Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire-Modified Most measures are administered at baseline, post-treatment and one-month follow-up. Some are administered exclusively at post-treatment. Baseline: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated (PSWQ-A), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), WHO-Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaires (CEQ), Anxiety Change Expectancy Scale (ACES) Post-Treatment: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated (PSWQ-A), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), WHO-Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), Anxiety Change Expectancy Scale (ACES), Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire-Modified (TSQ-M), Therapeutic Alliance Questionnaire (TAQ), Client Feedback Open-Ended Questions One-Month Follow-Up: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated (PSWQ-A), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) 2. WHO-Quality of Life-BREF (WHO-QOL-BREF) 3. Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ) 4. Anxiety Change Expectancy Scale (ACES) 5. Therapeutic Alliance Questionnaire (TAQ) 6. Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire-Modified Most measures are administered at baseline, post-treatment and one-month follow-up. Some are administered exclusively at post-treatment. Baseline: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated (PSWQ-A), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), WHO-Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaires (CEQ), Anxiety Change Expectancy Scale (ACES) Post-Treatment: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated (PSWQ-A), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), WHO-Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), Anxiety Change Expectancy Scale (ACES), Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire-Modified (TSQ-M), Therapeutic Alliance Questionnaire (TAQ), Client Feedback Open-Ended Questions One-Month Follow-Up: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI), Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated (PSWQ-A), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)

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Countries

Canada

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026