TY  - JOUR
AU  - Moghimi, Elnaz
AU  - Stephenson, Callum
AU  - Agarwal, Anika
AU  - Nikjoo, Niloofar
AU  - Malakouti, Niloufar
AU  - Layzell, Gina
AU  - O'Riordan, Anne
AU  - Jagayat, Jasleen
AU  - Shirazi, Amirhossein
AU  - Gutierrez, Gilmar
AU  - Khan, Ferwa
AU  - Patel, Charmy
AU  - Yang, Megan
AU  - Omrani, Mohsen
AU  - Alavi, Nazanin
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/12/25
TI  - Efficacy of an Electronic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program Delivered via the Online Psychotherapy Tool for Depression and Anxiety Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Pre-Post Pilot Study
JO  - JMIR Ment Health
SP  - e51102
VL  - 10
KW  - mental health
KW  - depression
KW  - anxiety
KW  - cognitive behavioral therapy
KW  - online
KW  - COVID-19
KW  - efficacy
KW  - electronic cognitive behavioral therapy
KW  - online psychotherapy tool
KW  - pandemic
KW  - evidence-based treatment
AB  - Background: Lockdowns and social distancing resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have worsened the population’s mental health and made it more difficult for individuals to receive care. Electronic cognitive behavioral therapy (e-CBT) is a cost-effective and evidence-based treatment for anxiety and depression and can be accessed remotely. Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the efficacy of online psychotherapy tailored to depression and anxiety symptoms during the pandemic. Methods: The pilot study used a pre-post design to evaluate the efficacy of a 9-week e-CBT program designed for individuals with depression and anxiety affected by the pandemic. Participants were adults (N=59) diagnosed with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, whose mental health symptoms initiated or worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online psychotherapy program focused on teaching coping, mindfulness, and problem-solving skills. Symptoms of anxiety and depression, resilience, and quality of life were assessed. Results: Participants demonstrated significant improvements in symptoms of anxiety (P=.02) and depression (P=.03) after the intervention. Similar trends were observed in the intention-to-treat analysis. No significant differences were observed in resilience and quality-of-life measures. The sample comprised mostly females, making it challenging to discern the benefits of the intervention in males. Although a pre-post design is less rigorous than a controlled trial, this design was selected to observe changes in scores during a critical period. Conclusions: e-CBT for COVID-19 is an effective and accessible treatment option. Improvements in clinical symptoms of anxiety and depression can be observed in individuals whose mental health is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04476667; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04476667 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/24913 
SN  - 2368-7959
UR  - https://mental.jmir.org/2023/1/e51102
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/51102
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37993984
DO  - 10.2196/51102
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/51102
ER  -