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Cited by 28Digital Mental Health InterventionsCOVID-19 and Mental HealthAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Efficacy of an Electronic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program Delivered via the Online Psychotherapy Tool for Depression and Anxiety Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Pre-Post Pilot Study

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Moghimi, Elnaz, Stephenson, Callum, Agarwal, Anika, Nikjoo, Niloofar, Malakouti, Niloufar, Layzell, Gina, O'Riordan, Anne, Jagayat, Jasleen +7 more·2023·JMIR Mental Health
DOI 10.2196/51102PMC PMC10760511

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Abstract

Background: Lockdowns and social distancing resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have worsened the population’s mental health and made it more difficult for individuals to receive care. Electronic cognitive behavioral therapy (e-CBT) is a cost-effective and evidence-based treatment for anxiety and depression and can be accessed remotely. Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the efficacy of online psychotherapy tailored to depression and anxiety symptoms during the pandemic. Methods: The pilot study used a pre-post design to evaluate the efficacy of a 9-week e-CBT program designed for individuals with depression and anxiety affected by the pandemic. Participants were adults (N=59) diagnosed with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, whose mental health symptoms initiated or worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online psychotherapy program focused on teaching coping, mindfulness, and problem-solving skills. Symptoms of anxiety and depression, resilience, and quality of life were assessed. Results: Participants demonstrated significant improvements in symptoms of anxiety (P=.02) and depression (P=.03) after the intervention. Similar trends were observed in the intention-to-treat analysis. No significant differences were observed in resilience and quality-of-life measures. The sample comprised mostly females, making it challenging to discern the benefits of the intervention in males. Although a pre-post design is less rigorous than a controlled trial, this design was selected to observe changes in scores during a critical period. Conclusions: e-CBT for COVID-19 is an effective and accessible treatment option. Improvements in clinical symptoms of anxiety and depression can be observed in individuals whose mental health is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04476667; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04476667 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/24913

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Authors
Moghimi, E., Stephenson, C., Agarwal, A., Nikjoo, N., Malakouti, N., Layzell, G., O'Riordan, A., Jagayat, J., Shirazi, A., Gutierrez, G., Khan, F., Patel, C., Yang, M., Omrani, M., & Alavi, N.
Affiliations
Queen's University (CA)
Corresponding author
Alavi, Nazanin
ORCID
Venue
JMIR Mental Health
Publisher
JMIR Publications Inc.
Published
2023-12-25
Volume
10
Pages
e51102
ISSN
2368-7959 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2196/51102
PMC
PMC10760511
OpenAlex
W4388863837
Cited by
28
References
50
Citations by year
2025: 7 · 2024: 21
FWCI
7.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • JMIR Mental Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
online therapy, COVID-19 pandemic, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, resilience, quality of life, coping strategies, mindfulness, problem-solving skills, remote mental health care
MeSH terms
COVID-19, Adult, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders, Communicable Disease Control, Depression, Depressive Disorder, Major, Major Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Pilot Projects, Quality of Life, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Pandemics, Mindfulness

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