An Ultra-Brief ICBT Intervention: The 'Things You Do' Program

Conditions studied

Depression, Anxiety

About this study

Research shows that the single lesson 'Things You Do' Intervention is effective in increasing engagement in everyday healthy actions. However, no research has examined whether its effectiveness is enhanced by incorporating personalized feedback on participants' current level of engagement in healthy actions. In this randomized controlled trial, clients will be randomly assigned to either receive or not receive personalized feedback informing them of their level of engagement in healthy actions over the previous week and encouraging them to participate in more healthy activities. The investigators will examine whether this feedback increases engagement in healthy actions and enhances the effectiveness of the 'Things You Do' Intervention as assessed through changes in primary outcomes.

Interventions

• Behavioral: Things You Do Program (Ultra-Brief ICBT) — The TYD program is an ultra-brief ICBT intervention developed at Macquarie University, Australia. The intervention provides psychoeducation on mental health and five areas of healthy actions, known as the "Things You Do," along with practical skills to support engagement in these actions. These five areas include Meaningful Activities, Healthy Thinking, Goals and Plans, Healthy Habits, and Social Connections. The intervention includes a single lesson, a Weekly Planner, an Activity Guide, and a daily 'Tip of the Day' Offered for 30 days. The lesson content is presented across 25 slides using text and infographics and requires approximately 30-60 minutes to review. A key component of the TYD intervention is the daily 'Tip of the Day.' These are daily messages that clients receive for 30 days following the start of the intervention. Each message provides a tip or suggests a healthy action that clients can engage in that day. Clients complete the program without therapist support.
• Behavioral: Things You Do Program Plus Personalized Feedback — Participants in this arm receive the same Things You Do (TYD) intervention as those in the comparative arm, with the addition of personalized feedback report. The TYD program is an ultra-brief ICBT intervention providing psychoeducation on mental health and five areas of healthy actions: Meaningful Activities, Healthy Thinking, Goals and Plans, Healthy Habits, and Social Connections. The intervention includes a single lesson (25 slides), Weekly Planner, Activity Guide, and daily "Tip of the Day" delivered for 30 days following enrollment in the intervention. Participants complete the intervention independently without therapist support. In addition to the standard TYD intervention, participants in this arm receive a personalized feedback report at screening, in Week 3, and in Week 5 following enrollment. Reports provide individualized feedback on participants' engagement across the five areas of healthy actions and are intended to encourage and motivate engagement in these areas.

Primary outcomes

• Things You Do-15 (TYD-15) (Baseline (intake), week 3 and 5)
• Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) (Baseline (intake), weeks 3 and 5)
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 (GAD-7) (Baseline (intake), weeks 3 and 5)

Eligibility information

Study locations

• Online Therapy Unit, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S0A2 Canada