Brief internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety in older adults: A feasibility trial
Journal of Anxiety DisordersPublished 7 May 2012
Judy Zou, Blake F. Dear, Nickolai Titov, Carolyn N. Lorian, Luke Johnston, Jay Spence
Citations71
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score2.17
SNIP1.70
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TL;DR
Encouraging results provide tentative support for the online treatment of older adults with anxiety and reductions in symptoms of anxiety and stress were found on the GAD-7 and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales at follow-up.
Abstract
This study examined the efficacy of an Internet-delivered cognitive-behavior therapy program developed for older adults. Twenty-two participants with elevated scores (≥8) on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale (GAD-7) participated in the course, which consisted of five lessons, homework tasks, additional resources, a moderated discussion forum, and weekly telephone support from a Clinical Psychologist. Ninety-five percent of the sample met diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder at pre-treatment. All participants completed the five lessons within the allotted eight weeks. Three-month follow-up data was collected from 95% of participants. Reductions in symptoms of anxiety and stress, with large within-group effect sizes (Cohen's d) were found on the GAD-7 (d=1.03) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales - 21 Items (d=0.98) at follow-up. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the program. These encouraging results provide tentative support for the online treatment of older adults with anxiety.
Keywords
Psychology
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