The Unified Protocol as an Internet-based Intervention for Emotional Disorders: Randomized Controlled Trial
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The Unified Protocol (UP) as a transdiagnostic intervention has primarily been applied in the treatment of anxiety disorders and in face-to-face-settings. The current study investigated the efficacy of a 10-week internet-based adaptation of the UP for anxiety, depressive, and somatic symptom disorders. N=129 participants were randomized to treatment or waitlist control. Linear mixed effect models revealed significant treatment effects for symptom distress, satisfaction with life, positive/negative affect and markers of anxiety, depression, and somatic symptom burden (within-group Hedges’ g = 0.32-1.38 and between-group g = 0.20-1.11). Treatment gains were maintained at 1- and 6-month-follow-up. Subgroup analyses showed comparable effects in participants with anxiety and depressive disorders. The results strengthen the application of the UP as an internet-based treatment for alleviating symptom distress across emotional disorders. More research on the applicability for single disorders and the mechanisms underlying the effects is needed.
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The mean number of modules completed in the intervention was 7.22.
“the mean number of modules completed was M = 7.22 (Schaeuffele etal., 2020)”
From Transdiagnostic Processes as Mediators of Change in an Internet-Delivered Intervention Based on the Unified Protocol (2022) · cites this paper as Schaeuffele et al., 2020
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- Authors
- Schaeuffele, C., Homeyer, S. L., Perea, L., Scharf, L., Schulz, A., Knaevelsrud, C., Renneberg, B., & Boettcher, J.
- Affiliations
- Freie Universität Berlin (DE)
- University of Zurich (CH)
- Psychologische Hochschule Berlin (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Schaeuffele, Carmen
- ORCID
- Publisher
- Center for Open Science
- Published
- 2020-12-16
- OpenAlex
- W3162161908
- Cited by
- 9
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5
- Type
- posted content
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Refubium (Universitätsbibliothek der Freien Universität Berlin) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
- OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
- PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Universitätsbibliothek der FU Berlin Hochschulschriftenstelle u. Dokumentenserver (cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
- Keywords
- Unified Protocol, online intervention, transdiagnostic treatment, emotional disorders, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, somatic symptom disorder, treatment efficacy, maintenance therapy, life satisfaction, positive and negative affect
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