OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of an Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) program for health anxiety compared to an active psychoeducation control group. METHOD: Individuals (N = 86, mean age: 30 years, 87% female) with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) diagnosis of illness anxiety disorder or somatic symptom disorder with health anxiety were randomized to either a 6-lesson clinician-guided iCBT program for health anxiety (n = 45) or an active control group who received anxiety psychoeducation, clinical support, and monitoring (control, n = 41) over a 12-week period. RESULTS: Both groups experienced significant improvements between baseline and posttreatment on self-report measures of health anxiety, depression, general anxiety, and functional impairment. Intention-to-treat analyses indicated that the iCBT group experienced greater improvements in health anxiety on the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) compared to controls (between-groups effect size = 1.39, 95% confidence interval [0.87, 1.93]), and a greater proportion of the iCBT group showed clinically reliable change on the SHAI (84% vs. 34% in the control group). Similarly, the iCBT group outperformed the control group on secondary measures of depression, generalized anxiety, functional impairment, maladaptive cognitions, body hypervigilance, safety behaviors and avoidance, and intolerance of uncertainty. Gains were maintained at 3-month follow-up in the iCBT group. CONCLUSION:iCBT for health anxiety is more effective than psychoeducation, clinical support, and monitoring, and presents an efficacious and accessible treatment option for people with health anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of an Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) program for health anxiety compared to an active psychoeducation control group. METHOD: Individuals (N = 86, mean age: 30 years, 87% female) with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) diagnosis of illness anxiety disorder or somatic symptom disorder with health anxiety were randomized to either a 6-lesson clinician-guided iCBT program for health anxiety (n = 45) or an active control group who received anxiety psychoeducation, clinical support, and monitoring (control, n = 41) over a 12-week period. RESULTS: Both groups experienced significant improvements between baseline and posttreatment on self-report measures of health anxiety, depression, general anxiety, and functional impairment. Intention-to-treat analyses indicated that the iCBT group experienced greater improvements in health anxiety on the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI) compared to controls (between-groups effect size = 1.39, 95% confidence interval [0.87, 1.93]), and a greater proportion of the iCBT group showed clinically reliable change on the SHAI (84% vs. 34% in the control group). Similarly, the iCBT group outperformed the control group on secondary measures of depression, generalized anxiety, functional impairment, maladaptive cognitions, body hypervigilance, safety behaviors and avoidance, and intolerance of uncertainty. Gains were maintained at 3-month follow-up in the iCBT group. CONCLUSION:iCBT for health anxiety is more effective than psychoeducation, clinical support, and monitoring, and presents an efficacious and accessible treatment option for people with health anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
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: Richard Morriss; Shireen Patel; Sam Malins; Boliang Guo; Fred Higton; Marilyn James; Mengjun Wu; Paula Brown; Naomi Boycott; Catherine Kaylor-Hughes; Martin Morris; Emma Rowley; Jayne Simpson; David Smart; Michelle Stubley; Joe Kai; Helen Tyrer Journal: BMC Med Date: 2019-01-23 Impact factor: 8.775
Authors: Victoria A M Owens; Heather D Hadjistavropoulos; Luke H Schneider; Kirsten M Gullickson; Eyal Karin; Nickolai Titov; Blake F Dear Journal: Internet Interv Date: 2019-01-18
Authors: Gemma Skaczkowski; Shannen van der Kruk; Sophie Loxton; Donna Hughes-Barton; Cate Howell; Deborah Turnbull; Neil Jensen; Matthew Smout; Kate Gunn Journal: JMIR Ment Health Date: 2022-02-08
Authors: Severin Hennemann; Katja Böhme; Harald Baumeister; Eileen Bendig; Maria Kleinstäuber; David Daniel Ebert; Michael Witthöft Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2018-12-31 Impact factor: 2.692