Evaluation of an online-based self-help program for patients with generalized anxiety disorder

• Verfasst von: Rubel, Julian [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Väth, Teresa [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Hanraths, Sofie [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Prüßner, Luise [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Timm, Christina [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Hartmann, Steffen [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Barnow, Sven [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Lalk, Christopher [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: Evaluation of an online-based self-help program for patients with generalized anxiety disorder
• Titelzusatz: a randomized controlled trial
• Verf.angabe: Rubel, J., Väth, T., Hanraths, S., Pruessner, L., Timm, C., Hartmann, S., Barnow, S., Lalk, C.
• Ausgabe: Draft version 1.1, Version 4
• E-Jahr: 2023
• Jahr: July 03, 2023
• Umfang: 45 S.
• Fussnoten: Gesehen am 13.06.2024
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: PsyArXiv preprints
• Ort Quelle: [Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar] : Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science, 2024
• Jahr Quelle: 2023
• Band/Heft Quelle: (2023), Seite 1-45
• DOI: doi:10.31234/osf.io/kbhvy
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• Sach-SW: Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Sach-SW: Internet-Based Interventions
• Sach-SW: Randomized Controlled Trial
• K10plus-PPN: 1891196405

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an online self-help intervention for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Our primary outcomes were reductions in generalized anxiety symptoms, measured using the GAD-7 (Spitzer et al., 2006), and improvements in well-being based on the WHO-5 (Topp et al., 2015). - Methods: A total of 156 German-speaking patients aged 18 to 65 with a diagnosis of GAD and internet access were included in this randomized controlled trial. The intervention group (N = 78) received access to a 12-week online self-help program, while the waitlist control group (N = 78) received access only after the 12-week waiting period. - Results: The intervention group showed a significant improvement in generalized anxiety symptoms compared to the control group (t(df=123.73) = -4.52, p < .001) with a medium to large effect size (d = -0.88, 95%-CI: -1.26; -0.50). Additionally, the intervention group demonstrated a significant increase in quality of life compared to the control group (t(df=87,86) = 3.48, p < .001), with a moderate to large effect size (d = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.27; 0.98). However, no significant effects were observed for secondary outcomes of functional impairments, work productivity, mental health literacy, and healthcare demands. For exploratory outcomes, improvement was found for anxiety and worry symptoms. - Conclusions: These findings suggest that an online-based self-help intervention effectively reduces core GAD symptoms and improves overall quality of life. Future research should explore the long-term effects of this intervention and investigate potential mechanisms underlying its effectiveness.