Internet-delivered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Students: Duration Preference Trial

Conditions studied

Depression, Anxiety

About this study

There is growing evidence for the effectiveness of internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (ICBT) for post-secondary students with symptoms of depression and anxiety. In ICBT, clients review structured online content over several weeks to learn strategies and skills to manage their symptoms. Low treatment completion rates remain a concern for post-secondary students, so it is possible that existing treatment protocols do not offer enough flexibility for students' needs and preferences. This trial will examine students' preferences for different course options (fast-track, 5-week, and 8-week) and compare enrollment, adherence, and outcomes of students who pick each of the three options. In all three options, students will receive optional therapist support, in which the assigned therapist only contacts the student on weeks where the student sends the therapist a message. This trial will help inform the delivery of flexible treatment options for post-secondary students in a routine care setting.

Interventions

• Behavioral: Wellbeing Course for Students (Fast Track) — The core Fast-Track lesson includes information on managing their cycle of symptoms, motivation, and an overview of strategies that can be used to manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. After the core lesson, clients can access three additional Do-It-Yourself guides that focus on thought challenging, controlled breathing/activity planning, and behavioural activation/relapse prevention. These materials are able to be accessed out of sequence on a schedule that suits their needs. With optional therapist support, therapists will respond to any messages that clients send once per week. Therapists will not message clients on weeks where the client does not send a message.
• Behavioral: Wellbeing Course for Students (5 weeks) — The 5-week course consists of four lessons that provide psychoeducation about: symptom identification and the cognitive behavioural model, thought monitoring and challenging, controlled breathing and pleasant activity scheduling, graded exposure, and relapse prevention. With optional therapist support, therapists will respond to any messages that clients send once per week. Therapists will not message clients on weeks where the client does not send a message.
• Behavioral: Wellbeing Course (8 weeks) — The 8-week course consists of five lessons that provide psychoeducation about: symptom identification and the cognitive behavioural model, thought monitoring and challenging, controlled breathing and pleasant activity scheduling, graded exposure, and relapse prevention. With optional therapist support, therapists will respond to any messages that clients send once per week. Therapists will not message clients on weeks where the client does not send a message.

Primary outcomes

• Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) (Baseline (screening), weeks 1-5 (Fast-Track and 5-week course), weeks 1-8 (8-week course), and week 16 (all course options))
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) (Baseline (screening), weeks 1-5 (Fast-Track and 5-week course), weeks 1-8 (8-week course), and week 16 (all course options))
• Perceptions of Academic Functioning (PAF) (Baseline (screening), weeks 1-5 (Fast-Track and 5-week course), weeks 1-8 (8-week course), and week 16 (all course options))

Eligibility information

Study locations

• Online Therapy Unit, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2 Canada