John Sharp1, Deirdre Holly, Niall Broomfield. 1. NHS National Waiting Times Centre, Scottish Advanced Heart Failure Service, Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank, Glasgow, UK.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Computerized cognitive behaviour therapy (cCBT) is becoming an increasingly well-recognized therapeutic option for the treatment of depression. With acknowledged high prevalence of depression within chronic physical ill-health populations and a need to increase access to psychological therapies, cCBT represents a low-intensity intervention with the potential to have great utility within health care settings. METHODS: This article systematically reviews the evidence for the effectiveness of cCBT for the treatment of depression with people who have a chronic physical health problem. A comprehensive search was conducted to identify relevant randomized, controlled trials. Identified studies were quality-assessed, and data were extracted by two reviewers. RESULTS: One study investigating cCBT for the treatment of depression in people with diabetes fulfilled inclusion criteria. The trial reported positive outcomes compared to a waiting-list control condition. CONCLUSIONS: The available literature suggests cCBT programmes may be beneficial for populations with a chronic physical illness experiencing depression. This conclusion is based on the findings of a single study, which involved the evaluation of a cCBT package by its developers, included a short follow-up and featured specialist health care support. Additionally, the study reported considerable attrition suggesting the intervention might not have been acceptable to many participants. It is likely that cCBT may be a way in which to increase access to psychological therapies. However, prior to any definitive conclusions being made, further high-quality research to establish the acceptability, feasibility, efficacy, and effectiveness of cCBT for specific chronic physical health conditions is required.
PURPOSE: Computerized cognitive behaviour therapy (cCBT) is becoming an increasingly well-recognized therapeutic option for the treatment of depression. With acknowledged high prevalence of depression within chronic physical ill-health populations and a need to increase access to psychological therapies, cCBT represents a low-intensity intervention with the potential to have great utility within health care settings. METHODS: This article systematically reviews the evidence for the effectiveness of cCBT for the treatment of depression with people who have a chronic physical health problem. A comprehensive search was conducted to identify relevant randomized, controlled trials. Identified studies were quality-assessed, and data were extracted by two reviewers. RESULTS: One study investigating cCBT for the treatment of depression in people with diabetes fulfilled inclusion criteria. The trial reported positive outcomes compared to a waiting-list control condition. CONCLUSIONS: The available literature suggests cCBT programmes may be beneficial for populations with a chronic physical illness experiencing depression. This conclusion is based on the findings of a single study, which involved the evaluation of a cCBT package by its developers, included a short follow-up and featured specialist health care support. Additionally, the study reported considerable attrition suggesting the intervention might not have been acceptable to many participants. It is likely that cCBT may be a way in which to increase access to psychological therapies. However, prior to any definitive conclusions being made, further high-quality research to establish the acceptability, feasibility, efficacy, and effectiveness of cCBT for specific chronic physical health conditions is required.
Authors: Jesse H Wright; Laura W McCray; Tracy D Eells; Rangaraj Gopalraj; Laura B Bishop Journal: Curr Psychiatry Rep Date: 2018-09-07 Impact factor: 5.285
Authors: Hiran Thabrew; Karolina Stasiak; Sarah E Hetrick; Stephen Wong; Jessica H Huss; Sally N Merry Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2018-08-15