Anxiety Disorders, Major Depression
Conditions
Brief summary
This study represents Phase II of a research program involving an international collaboration with Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia) to implement an Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for the treatment of anxiety and depression in French-speaking Canadians from the Atlantic Provinces. The primary objective is to establish the clinical efficacy of a French-Canadian self-guided format version of the Wellbeing Course by conducting a randomized-control trial where an experimental group will be compared to a waitlist control group. A secondary objective is to demonstrate the course's acceptability through participants' satisfaction with the course.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALThe Wellbeing Course
The Wellbeing Course (Titov et al., 2011) includes five online lessons: * Lesson 1 presents information on the prevalence of anxiety disorders and depression as well as on how they may interfere with life goals. This lesson also discusses how cognitive, behavioral and physical symptoms can contribute to poor emotional health. * Lesson 2 presents different strategies to generate realistic cognitions. * Lesson 3 describes strategies for physical de-arousal and for re-engaging in reinforcing activities. * Lesson 4 describes avoidance and safety behaviors in relation with anxiety and depression along with graded exposure. * Lesson 5 is about problem solving, relapse prevention and staying well. For each lesson, a Do It Yourself guide is included as well vignettes and additional material.
Sponsors
Macquarie University, Australia
Universite de Moncton
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Residing in New-Brunswick, Nova-Scotia, Prince Edward Island, or Newfound land & Labrador * Having identified French as the first official language spoken and having good reading comprehension in French. * Reliable Internet access * Clinically significant levels of depression or anxiety reflected by significant scores on the following measures: PHQ-9 \> 9, GAD-7 \>7, Penn Stage Worry Questionnaire ≥ 45, Social Phobia Inventory ≥ 19, Panic and Agoraphobia Scale ≥ 19, or by answering yes to the question Is anxiety or low mood a problem for you * Not currently participating in cognitive-behavioral therapy * No changes in medication for 4 weeks prior to the study, nor any changes in medication for the next 2 months * Willing to disclose personal information
Exclusion criteria
* Presence of psychotic symptoms * Presence of severe depression as indicated by scores ≥ 23 on the PHQ-9, or a score \> 2 on item 9 of the PHQ-9
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in depression as assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) | Pretest, posttest (week 8), 3-month follow-up | Symptoms of depression |
| Changes in anxiety as assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) | Pretest, posttest (week 8), 3-month follow-up | Symptoms of anxiety |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in personality as assessed by the Self-administered Standardised Assessment of Personality - Abbreviated Scale | Pretest (week 1), posttest (week 8), 3-month follow-up | Pathological personality traits as assessed by the Self-administered Standardised Assessment of Personality - Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) |
| Changes in anxiety as assessed by the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) | Pretest (week 1), posttest (week 8), 3-month follow-up | Symptoms of worry |
| Changes in life satisfaction as assessed by the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) | Pretest, posttest (week 8), 3-month follow-up | Life satisfaction as assessed by the SWLS (Diener et al.,1995) |
| Changes in panic and agoraphobia as assessed by the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS) | Pretest (week 1), posttest (week 8), 3-month follow-up | frequency and intensity of panic symptoms |
| Changes in social anxiety as assessed by the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) | Pretest (week 1), posttest (week 8), 3-month follow-up | Symptoms of social anxiety symptoms |
| Changes in health as assessed by the Short-Form Health Survey | Pretest (week 1), posttest (week 8), 3-month follow-up | Physical and mental health as assessed by the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12; Ware et al., 1998) |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed