scholarly journals Cognitive–behavioural therapy for health anxiety in a genitourinary medicine clinic: randomised controlled trial

2008 ◽  
Vol 193 (4) ◽  
pp. 332-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Seivewright ◽  
John Green ◽  
Paul Salkovskis ◽  
Barbara Barrett ◽  
Ula Nur ◽  
...  

BackgroundLittle is known about the management of health anxiety and hypochondriasis in secondary care settings.AimsTo determine whether cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) along with a supplementary manual was effective in reducing symptoms and health consultations in patients with high health anxiety in a genitourinary medicine clinic.MethodPatients with high health anxiety were randomly assigned to brief CBT and compared with a control group.ResultsGreater improvement was seen in Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI) scores (primary outcome) in patients treated with CBT (n=23) than in the control group (n=26) (P=0.001). Similar but less marked differences were found for secondary outcomes of generalised anxiety, depression and social function, and there were fewer health service consultations. The CBT intervention resulted in improvements in outcomes alongside higher costs, with an incremental cost of £33 per unit reduction in HAI score.ConclusionsCognitive–behavioural therapy for health anxiety within a genitourinary medicine clinic is effective and suggests wider use of this intervention in medical settings.

2011 ◽  
Vol 198 (3) ◽  
pp. 230-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Hedman ◽  
Gerhard Andersson ◽  
Erik Andersson ◽  
Brjánn Ljótsson ◽  
Christian Rück ◽  
...  

BackgroundHypochondriasis, characterised by severe health anxiety, is a common condition associated with functional disability. Cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective but not widely disseminated treatment for hypochondriasis. Internet-based CBT, including guidance in the form of minimal therapist contact via email, could be a more accessible treatment, but no study has investigated internet-based CBT for hypochondriasis.AimsTo investigate the efficacy of internet-based CBT for hypochondriasis.MethodA randomised controlled superiority trial with masked assessment comparing internet-based CBT (n= 40) over 12 weeks with an attention control condition (n= 41) for people with hypochondriasis. The primary outcome measure was the Health Anxiety Inventory. This trial is registrated with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00828152).ResultsParticipants receiving internet-based CBT made large and superior improvements compared with the control group on measures of health anxiety (between-group Cohen'sdrange 1.52–1.62).ConclusionsInternet-based CBT is an efficacious treatment for hypochondriasis that has the potential to increase accessibility and availability of CBT for hypochodriasis.


2011 ◽  
Vol 199 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward R. Watkins ◽  
Eugene Mullan ◽  
Janet Wingrove ◽  
Katharine Rimes ◽  
Herbert Steiner ◽  
...  

BackgroundAbout 20% of major depressive episodes become chronic and medication-refractory and also appear to be less responsive to standard cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT).AimsTo test whether CBT developed from behavioural activation principles that explicitly and exclusively targets depressive rumination enhances treatment as usual (TAU) in reducing residual depression.MethodForty-two consecutively recruited participants meeting criteria for medication-refractory residual depression were randomly allocated to TAU v. TAU plus up to 12 sessions of individual rumination-focused CBT. The trial has been registered (ISRCTN22782150).ResultsAdding rumination-focused CBT to TAU significantly improved residual symptoms and remission rates. Treatment effects were mediated by change in rumination.ConclusionsThis is the first randomised controlled trial providing evidence of benefits of rumination-focused CBT in persistent depression. Although suggesting the internal validity of rumination-focused CBT for residual depression, the trial lacked an attentional control group so cannot test whether the effects were as a result of the specific content of rumination-focused CBT v. non-specific therapy effects.


BJPsych Open ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shireen Patel ◽  
Sam Malins ◽  
Boliang Guo ◽  
Marilyn James ◽  
Joe Kai ◽  
...  

BackgroundHealth anxiety and medically unexplained symptoms cost the National Health Service (NHS) an estimated £3 billion per year in unnecessary costs with little evidence of patient benefit. Effective treatment is rarely taken up due to issues such as stigma or previous negative experiences with mental health services. An approach to overcome this might be to offer remotely delivered psychological therapy, which can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy and may be more accessible and suitable.AimsTo investigate the clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of remotely delivered cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) to people with high health anxiety repeatedly accessing unscheduled care (trial registration: NCT02298036).MethodA multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) will be undertaken in primary and secondary care providers of unscheduled care across the East Midlands. One hundred and forty-four eligible participants will be equally randomised to receive either remote CBT (6–12 sessions) or treatment as usual (TAU). Two doctoral research studies will investigate the barriers and facilitators to delivering the intervention and the factors contributing to the optimisation of therapeutic outcome.ResultsThis trial will be the first to test the clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of remotely delivered CBT for the treatment of high health anxiety.ConclusionsThe findings will enable an understanding as to how this intervention might fit into a wider care pathway to enhance patient experience of care.


1997 ◽  
Vol 171 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kuipers ◽  
Philippa Garety ◽  
David Fowler ◽  
Graham Dunn ◽  
Paul Bebbington ◽  
...  

BackgroundA series of small, mainly uncontrolled, studies have suggested that techniques adapted from cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) for depression can improve outcome in psychosis, but no large randomised controlled trial of intensive treatment for medication-resistant symptoms of psychosis has previously been published.MethodSixty participants who each had at least one positive and distressing symptom of psychosis that was medication-resistant were randomly allocated between a CBT and standard care condition (n=28) and a standard care only control condition (n=32). Therapy was individualised, and lasted for nine months. Multiple assessments of outcome were used.ResultsOver nine months, improvement was significant only in the treatment group, who showed a 25% reduction on the BPRS. No other clinical, symptomatic or functioning measure changed significantly. Participants had a low drop-out rate from therapy (11%), and expressed high levels of satisfaction with treatment (80%). Fifty per cent of the CBT group were treatment responders (one person became worse), compared with 31% of the control group (three people became worse and another committed suicide)ConclusionsCBT for psychosis can improve overall symptomatology. The findings provide evidence that even a refractory group of clients with a long history of psychosis can engage in talking about psychotic symptoms and their meaning, and this can improve outcome.


2014 ◽  
Vol 205 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Hedman ◽  
Erland Axelsson ◽  
Anders Görling ◽  
Carina Ritzman ◽  
Markus Ronnheden ◽  
...  

BackgroundExposure-based cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) delivered via the internet has been shown to be effective for severe health anxiety (hypochondriasis) but has not been compared with an active, effective and credible psychological treatment, such as behavioural stress management (BSM).AimsTo investigate two internet-delivered treatments – exposure-based CBTv.BSM – for severe health anxiety in a randomised controlled trial (trial registration: NCT01673035).MethodParticipants (n= 158) with a principal diagnosis of severe health anxiety were allocated to 12 weeks of exposure-based CBT (n= 79) or BSM (n= 79) delivered via the internet. The Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI) was the primary outcome.ResultsInternet-delivered exposure-based CBT led to a significantly greater improvement on the HAI compared with BSM. However, both treatment groups made large improvements on the HAI (pre-to-post-treatment Cohen'sd: exposure-based CBT, 1.78; BSM, 1.22).ConclusionsExposure-based CBT delivered via the internet is an efficacious treatment for severe health anxiety.Declarations of interestNone.


1998 ◽  
Vol 173 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kuipers ◽  
David Fowler ◽  
Phiuppa Garety ◽  
Daniel Chisholm ◽  
Daniel Freeman ◽  
...  

BackgroundA randomised controlled trial of cognitive — behavioural therapy (CBT) for people with medication-resistant psychosis showed improvements in overall symptomatology after nine months of treatment; good outcome was strongly predicted by a measure of cognitive flexibility concerning delusions. The present paper presents a follow-up evaluation 18 months after baseline.MethodForty-seven (78% of original n=60) participants were available for follow-up at 18 months, and were reassessed on all the original outcome measures (see Part I). An economic evaluation was also completed.ResultsThose in the CBT treatment group showed a significant and continuing improvement in Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores, whereas the control group did not change from baseline. Delusional distress and the frequency of hallucinations were also significantly reduced in the CBT group. The costs of CB Tappear to have been offset by reductions in service utilisation and associated costs during follow-up.ConclusionsImprovement in overall symptoms was maintained in the CBT group 18 months after baseline and nine months after intensive therapy was completed. CBT may be a specific and cost-effective intervention in medication-resistant psychosis.


1997 ◽  
Vol 171 (5) ◽  
pp. 420-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippa Garety ◽  
David Fowler ◽  
Elizabeth Kuipers ◽  
Daniel Freeman ◽  
Graham Dunn ◽  
...  

BackgroundDespite growing evidence of the effectiveness of cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) for psychosis, typically only about 50% of patients show a positive response to treatment. This paper reports the first comprehensive investigation of factors which predict treatment outcome.MethodIn a randomised controlled trial of CBT for medication-resistant psychosis (see Part I) measures were taken at baseline of demographic, clinical and cognitive variables. Changes over time were assessed on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the relationship between potential predictor variables and outcome was investigated using analysis of variance and covariance.ResultsA number of baseline variables were identified as predictors of good outcome in the CBT group. Key predictors were a response indicating cognitive flexibility concerning delusions (P=0.005) and the number of recent admissions (P=0.002). Outcome was less predictable in the control group and was not predicted by any cognitive variable.ConclusionsGood outcome is strongly predicted in patients with persistent delusions by a cognitive measure, while this was not the case in controls. Thus we argue that positive outcome in CBT is due in part to specific effects on delusional thinking.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e050661
Author(s):  
Håvard Kallestad ◽  
Simen Saksvik ◽  
Øystein Vedaa ◽  
Knut Langsrud ◽  
Gunnar Morken ◽  
...  

IntroductionInsomnia is highly prevalent in outpatients receiving treatment for mental disorders. Cognitive–behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is a recommended first-line intervention. However, access is limited and most patients with insomnia who are receiving mental healthcare services are treated using medication. This multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) examines additional benefits of a digital adaptation of CBT-I (dCBT-I), compared with an online control intervention of patient education about insomnia (PE), in individuals referred to secondary mental health clinics.Methods and analysisA parallel group, superiority RCT with a target sample of 800 participants recruited from treatment waiting lists at Norwegian psychiatric services. Individuals awaiting treatment will receive an invitation to the RCT, with potential participants undertaking online screening and consent procedures. Eligible outpatients will be randomised to dCBT-I or PE in a 1:1 ratio. Assessments will be performed at baseline, 9 weeks after completion of baseline assessments (post-intervention assessment), 33 weeks after baseline (6 months after the post-intervention assessment) and 61 weeks after baseline (12 months after the post-intervention assessment). The primary outcome is between-group difference in insomnia severity 9 weeks after baseline. Secondary outcomes include between-group differences in levels of psychopathology, and measures of health and functioning 9 weeks after baseline. Additionally, we will test between-group differences at 6-month and 12-month follow-up, and examine any negative effects of the intervention, any changes in mental health resource use, and/or in functioning and prescription of medications across the duration of the study. Other exploratory analyses are planned.Ethics and disseminationThe study protocol has been approved by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics in Norway (Ref: 125068). Findings from the RCT will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and advocacy and stakeholder groups. Exploratory analyses, including potential mediators and moderators, will be reported separately from main outcomes.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT04621643); Pre-results.


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