Study: Phone Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Works as Well as In-Person Therapy
After sifting through the data from a huge study, English researchers say phone-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) works as well as in person therapy for people with mild to moderate depression and anxiety.
Fast acting cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a proven effective intervention for people suffering from depression and anxiety.
But though it works well, therapy sessions can be expensive, people in rural areas may find it hard to find a trained practitioner and people with mobility impairments may have difficulty traveling to an office for therapy sessions.
Given these barriers to access, researchers in England wondered if CBT sessions over the phone might be a reasonable, and cheaper, alternative to face to face therapy sessions.
The Experiment
To find out, researchers looked at a naturalistic population sample of over 39 000 people in England who had been referred to get depression or anxiety treatment. Subjects from this sample pool were assessed and then randomly assigned to receive either in-person CBT or CBT delivered over the phone.
Before each CBT session, subjects were asked to fill out a questionnaire rating their anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Neither the therapists nor the subjects knew of their participation in a research study.
The Results
- Both phone based CBT and in-person CBT helped subjects improve their social functioning and decreased their symptoms of anxiety and or depression.
- Although in-person CBT proved more effective for people with severe symptoms, people with mild to moderate depression and anxiety did equally well in both treatment groups.
Discussion
Commenting on the implications of their research, the study authors note, “For most, CBT delivered over-the-telephone is a cost-effective and probably convenient option...In a global context, the potential is enormous for spreading access to effective psychological therapies to the millions of people affected by depression and anxiety. As the availability of mobile phone technology in low and middle income countries grows, people now have the potential of having a therapist in their pocket, transcending traditional barriers to the receipt of effective treatments.”
Read the full study results in PlOSOne
More like this
Why Problem Sports Gamblers Need Different Treatment
Problem sports betters tend to overestimate their abilities to predict outcomes. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help problem sports gamblers overcome this illusion of control.
Research: To Purge Negative Thoughts, Just Write Them Down and Throw Them in the Trash
Unwanted negative thoughts – researchers say you can eliminate their power by writing them down on paper and then throwing that paper in a trash can.
Online Alcohol Intervention Reduces College Drinking by 17%
College students who met the criteria for harmful drinking behaviors drank 17% less one month after participating in an easy web based alcohol intervention.
Quick and Easy Online Intervention Helps Problem Drinkers Cut-Down by 30%
Canadian health researchers say that heavy drinkers given access to an online intervention tool reduced their alcohol consumption by 30% - and that this reduction proved lasting beyond 6 months.
US Navy Invests Millions in Online Addiction Recovery Program for Sailors on Deployment
US Navy Invests $3.25 million to provide sailors on deployment with access to an online addiction recovery program