scholarly journals Effectiveness of a WHO self‐help psychological intervention for preventing mental disorders among Syrian refugees in Turkey: a randomized controlled trial

2022 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-95
Author(s):  
Ceren Acarturk ◽  
Ersin Uygun ◽  
Zeynep Ilkkursun ◽  
Kenneth Carswell ◽  
Federico Tedeschi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Self Help

scholarly journals Correction: A Self-Help App for Syrian Refugees With Posttraumatic Stress (Sanadak): Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/28336 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e28336
Author(s):  
Susanne Röhr ◽  
Franziska U Jung ◽  
Alexander Pabst ◽  
Thomas Grochtdreis ◽  
Judith Dams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Self Help

scholarly journals Hands-off: Study protocol of a two-armed randomized controlled trial of a web-based self-help tool to reduce problematic pornography use

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 433-445
Author(s):  
Beáta Bőthe ◽  
Christian Baumgartner ◽  
Michael P. Schaub ◽  
Zsolt Demetrovics ◽  
Gábor Orosz
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Intention To Treat ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Pornography Use

AbstractBackground and AimsThe past-year prevalence of problematic pornography use (PPU) was 1–6% in adult populations. As a result of treatment obstacles and barriers, such as unaffordable treatments, only a minority of problematic pornography users may seek treatment. Having a free, online, self-help program may overcome treatment barriers and may help those individuals who cannot receive traditional or offline treatment for PPU. Although the effectiveness of such online programs reducing substance use and problematic gambling have been reported, no prior study has examined the efficacy of an online self-help intervention aiming to reduce PPU.MethodsThis two-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT) will examine the effectiveness of an online self-help program (Hands-off) to reduce PPU, while also considering psychopathological comorbidities. The six-week intervention condition includes six core modules developed to reduce PPU based on motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and wise social-psychological intervention techniques. The target sample size is 242 participants. Self-report questionnaires will be administered at baseline, right after the end of the intervention, at one-month, and three-month follow-ups after the end of the intervention. The primary outcome will be the level of PPU. Secondary outcomes will include pornography use frequency, pornography craving, pornography use-avoidance self-efficacy, sex mindset, sexual satisfaction, negative and positive emotions, and life satisfaction. Data will be analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis using linear mixed models.ResultsResults will be reported at conferences and published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal. The participants will be sent a lay-person-friendly summary of the results via e-mail.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of self-help plus (SH+) in reducing anxiety and post-traumatic symptomatology among care home workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a randomized controlled trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna Riello ◽  
Marianna Purgato ◽  
Chiara Bove ◽  
Federico Tedeschi ◽  
David MacTaggart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
World Health ◽  
Treatment As Usual ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Specific Factors

This article describes a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a supervised online delivery of self-help plus (SH+), during the second wave of COVID-19 contagions in Northern Italy. The SH+ is a psychological intervention developed by the World Health Organization to increase a person's ability to deal with stress. In this trial, it was tested primarily as a tool to reduce anxiety and post-traumatic symptomatology in workers of residential nursing and care homes. In order to partial out non-specific effects of the intervention, the SH+ was compared to an equally supervised and structured alternative activity. Secondarily, in view of future emergencies, the potential of SH+ as a tool to reduce perceived stress, increase subjective well-being and foster individual resilience was explored. At post-intervention, the preregistered analysis revealed no difference in self-reported anxiety and/or post-traumatic symptomatology between the group receiving the SH+ and the group engaged in an alternative activity. Some specific and positive effects of the SH+ intervention were only found on self-reported intervention effectiveness and engagement in exploratory analyses. These findings raise the question whether the previously documented effectiveness of the SH+ on self-reported symptomatology and on the prevention of psychiatric conditions could be attributed mostly to non-specific rather than specific factors connected with participant enrolment in a psychological intervention. Indeed, the effects of the SH+ had been previously compared only to the effects of not being engaged in any alternative activity (often described in the literature as ‘treatment as usual’—or ‘enhanced treatment as usual’, when some relevant information is given to the control group as a one-off). Given the negative findings of this study, before the SH+ is implemented in clinical practice, further studies should be conducted to examine its short- and long-term beneficial effects, by means of randomized studies that employ alternative but similarly structured interventions as control conditions, aiming to minimize the confounding effect of non-specific factors.

scholarly journals Correction: A Self-Help App for Syrian Refugees With Posttraumatic Stress (Sanadak): Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Röhr ◽  
Franziska U Jung ◽  
Alexander Pabst ◽  
Thomas Grochtdreis ◽  
Judith Dams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Self Help

UNSTRUCTURED REMOVE

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Self-Help Plus in Preventing Mental Disorders in Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Western Europe: A Multinational Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Marianna Purgato ◽  
Kenneth Carswell ◽  
Federico Tedeschi ◽  
Ceren Acarturk ◽  
Minna Anttila ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Self-Help Plus (SH+) is a group-based psychological intervention developed by the World Health Organization for managing stress. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> To assess the effectiveness of SH+ in preventing mental disorders in refugees and asylum seekers in Western Europe. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We conducted a randomized controlled trial in 5 European countries. Refugees and asylum seekers with psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire score ≥3), but without a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) or ICD/10 diagnosis of mental disorder, as assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), were randomized to SH+ or enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU). The primary outcome was the frequency of mental disorders with the MINI at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included the frequency of mental disorders at postintervention, self-identified problems, psychological symptoms, and other outcomes. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Four hundred fifty-nine individuals were randomly assigned to SH+ or ETAU. For the primary outcome, we found no difference in the frequency of mental disorders at 6 months (Cramer <i>V</i> = 0.007, <i>p</i> = 0.90, RR = 0.96; 95% CI 0.52–1.78), while the difference significantly favored SH+ at after the intervention (secondary outcome, measured within 2 weeks from the last session; Cramer <i>V</i> = 0.13, <i>p</i> = 0.01, RR = 0.50; 95% CI 0.29–0.87). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This is the first randomized indicated prevention study with the aim of preventing the onset of mental disorders in asylum seekers and refugees in Western Europe. As a prevention effect of SH+ was not observed at 6 months, but rather after the intervention only, modalities to maintain its beneficial effect in the long term need to be identified.

Preliminary evaluation of a culturally adapted CBT-based online programme for depression and anxiety from a lower middle-income country

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeeha Latif ◽  
Falahat Awan ◽  
Mirrat Gul ◽  
M. Omair Husain ◽  
M. Ishrat Husain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Culturally Adapted

Abstract Online cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), self-help and guided self-help (GSH) interventions have been found to be efficacious and cost-effective for treatment of anxiety and depression, but there are limited data from low- and middle-income countries on culturally adapted digital interventions for these common mental disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of an online culturally adapted CBT-based guided self-help (CaCBT-GSH) for patients with anxiety and depression in Pakistan. This randomized controlled trial recruited 39 participants from primary care in Karachi, Pakistan and randomized them to two groups. The intervention group received seven modules of CaCBT-GSH plus treatment as usual (TAU) over 12 weeks. The control group was a waitlist control plus TAU. The primary outcomes were feasibility and acceptability. Clinical outcomes included results from the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2 (WHODAS 2). Assessments were carried out at baseline and at 12 weeks. All 39 individuals who met eligibility criteria for the study agreed to participate. Adherence to the intervention was excellent, with 85% (17/20) completing more than five modules. Statistically significant improvements were found in all clinical outcomes in the intervention group. This was the first trial of an online CaCBT-GSH intervention, which was found to be feasible and acceptable to Pakistani patients with anxiety and depression. CaCBT-GSH may help improve symptoms, depression, anxiety and overall functioning in this population. The results provide rationale for a larger, confirmatory randomized controlled trial of digital CaCBT-GSH. Key learning aims (1) Leveraging digital and virtual platforms to deliver psychosocial interventions may contribute to addressing the significant treatment gap in low-resource settings. (2) CBT-informed guided self-help is feasible and acceptable in the treatment of common mental disorders in Pakistan. (3) The results of this study merit a larger, appropriately powered confirmatory randomized controlled trial to determine clinical and cost effectiveness.

scholarly journals A Self-Help App for Syrian Refugees With Posttraumatic Stress (Sanadak): Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/24807 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e24807
Author(s):  
Susanne Röhr ◽  
Franziska U Jung ◽  
Alexander Pabst ◽  
Thomas Grochtdreis ◽  
Judith Dams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Secondary Outcomes

Background Syrian refugees residing in Germany often develop posttraumatic stress as a result of the Syrian civil war, their escape, and postmigration stressors. At the same time, there is a lack of adequate treatment options. The smartphone-based app Sanadak was developed to provide cognitive behavioral therapy–based self-help in the Arabic language for Syrian refugees with posttraumatic stress. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the app. Methods In a randomized controlled trial, eligible individuals were randomly allocated to the intervention group (IG; app use) or control group (CG; psychoeducational reading material). Data were collected during structured face-to-face interviews at 3 assessments (preintervention/baseline, postintervention/after 4 weeks, follow-up/after 4 months). Using adjusted mixed-effects linear regression models, changes in posttraumatic stress and secondary outcomes were investigated as intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analysis. Cost-effectiveness was evaluated based on adjusted mean total costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves using the net benefit approach. Results Of 170 screened individuals (aged 18 to 65 years), 133 were eligible and randomized to the IG (n=65) and CG (n=68). Although there was a pre-post reduction in posttraumatic stress, ITT showed no significant differences between the IG and CG after 4 weeks (Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5, Diff –0.90, 95% CI –0.24 to 0.47; P=.52) and after 4 months (Diff –0.39, 95% CI –3.24 to 2.46; P=.79). The same was true for PP. Regarding secondary outcomes, ITT indicated a treatment effect for self-stigma: after 4 weeks (Self-Stigma of Mental Illness Scale/SSMIS–stereotype agreement: d=0.86, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.25; stereotype application: d=0.60, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.99) and after 4 months (d=0.52, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.92; d=0.50, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.90), the IG showed significantly lower values in self-stigma than the CG. ITT showed no significant group differences in total costs and QALYs. The probability of cost-effectiveness was 81% for a willingness-to-pay of €0 per additional QALY but decreased with increasing willingness-to-pay. Conclusions Sanadak was not more effective in reducing mild to moderate posttraumatic stress in Syrian refugees than the control condition nor was it likely to be cost-effective. Therefore, Sanadak is not suitable as a standalone treatment. However, as the app usability was very good, no harms detected, and stigma significantly reduced, Sanadak has potential as a bridging aid within a stepped and collaborative care approach. Trial Registration German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00013782; https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00013782 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.1186/s12888-019-2110-y

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