BACKGROUND: Although guided self-help for depression and anxiety disorders has been examined in many studies, it is not clear whether it is equally effective as face-to-face treatments.MethodWe conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in which the effects of guided self-help on depression and anxiety were compared directly with face-to-face psychotherapies for depression and anxiety disorders. A systematic search in bibliographical databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Cochrane) resulted in 21 studies with 810 participants. RESULTS: The overall effect size indicating the difference between guided self-help and face-to-face psychotherapy at post-test was d=-0.02, in favour of guided self-help. At follow-up (up to 1 year) no significant difference was found either. No significant difference was found between the drop-out rates in the two treatments formats. CONCLUSIONS: It seems safe to conclude that guided self-help and face-to-face treatments can have comparable effects. It is time to start thinking about implementation in routine care.
BACKGROUND: Although guided self-help for depression and anxiety disorders has been examined in many studies, it is not clear whether it is equally effective as face-to-face treatments.MethodWe conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in which the effects of guided self-help on depression and anxiety were compared directly with face-to-face psychotherapies for depression and anxiety disorders. A systematic search in bibliographical databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Cochrane) resulted in 21 studies with 810 participants. RESULTS: The overall effect size indicating the difference between guided self-help and face-to-face psychotherapy at post-test was d=-0.02, in favour of guided self-help. At follow-up (up to 1 year) no significant difference was found either. No significant difference was found between the drop-out rates in the two treatments formats. CONCLUSIONS: It seems safe to conclude that guided self-help and face-to-face treatments can have comparable effects. It is time to start thinking about implementation in routine care.
Authors: Lisa B Sheeber; John R Seeley; Edward G Feil; Betsy Davis; Erik Sorensen; Derek B Kosty; Peter M Lewinsohn Journal: J Consult Clin Psychol Date: 2012-06-04
Authors: Severin Hennemann; Michael Witthöft; Matthias Bethge; Katja Spanier; Manfred E Beutel; Rüdiger Zwerenz Journal: Int Arch Occup Environ Health Date: 2017-11-30 Impact factor: 3.015
Authors: Francisco Rodriguez-Pulido; Gema Castillo; Sofiane Hamrioui; Laura Delgado Martin; Pilar Vazquez-Beltrán; Isabel de la Torre-Díez; Manuel A Franco-Martín Journal: J Med Syst Date: 2020-02-13 Impact factor: 4.460