Observations of a Brief Online Psychological Intervention Among People Seeking Online Mental Health Services

Conditions studied

Depression, Anxiety

About this study

Since 2012, the Online Therapy Unit has been offering Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (ICBT). ICBT represents a convenient method for individuals to access care for depression and anxiety. In ICBT, clients receive access to standardized lessons that provide the same information and skills as traditional face-to-face CBT. ICBT courses often span 6-12 weeks. There is now growing evidence that clients with symptoms of depression and anxiety can benefit from a single session brief intervention that offers practical strategies for improving mental health, but the investigators are uncertain about the interest in such a lesson among those seeking online mental health care. The Things You Do Course, therefore, is designed to provide clients with 5 key actions that clients can take to improve their emotional wellbeing. In this study, the Online Therapy Unit (OTU) is examining how effective the Things You Do Course is in helping clients manage their symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve their emotional wellbeing. The OTU is also exploring the extent to which clients are satisfied with the course, and what factors contribute to improvements in symptoms, as measured by a number of questionnaires. The research will ultimately be used to improve how the OTU will deliver ICBT and to inform whether to include the single session course within existing online mental health service options.

Interventions

• Behavioral: Things You Do Course — Participants receiving the brief psychological intervention ('Things You Do' Course) will have access to a single online lesson that includes course materials and printable materials (i.e., an activity guide and planner) that can be retained for longer-term use. The course materials include an introduction to the purpose and content of the course, education about factors that impact mental health, and information about the 'Big Five' things participants can do to improve their mental health. Participants will also receive automated no-reply emails (5 days/week) through the intervention platform to remind them to practice the skills from the course.

Primary outcomes

• The Things You Do Questionnaire - 21 item (TYD-Q) (Pre-treatment, 2 weeks (mid-treatment), 4 weeks (post-treatment), and 17 weeks (follow-up))
• Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) (Pre-treatment, 2 weeks (mid-treatment), 4 weeks (post-treatment), and 17 weeks (follow-up))
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7) (Pre-treatment, 2 weeks (mid-treatment), 4 weeks (post-treatment), and 17 weeks (follow-up))

Eligibility information

Study locations

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