1
|
de Ponti N, Matbouriahi M, Franco P, Harrer M, Miguel C, Papola D, Sicimoğlu A, Cuijpers P, Karyotaki E. The efficacy of psychotherapy for social anxiety disorder, a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Anxiety Disord 2024; 104:102881. [PMID: 38815481 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2024.102881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given the growth in research examining the effects of psychotherapy on social anxiety disorder (SAD), an up-to-date comprehensive meta-analysis in this field is needed. METHODS We selected studies from a database of randomized trials (RCTs) on psychotherapies for anxiety disorders (last updated search of PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, and Cochrane (CENTRAL): 1 January 2024) We included RCTs comparing psychotherapy to a control condition for adults with SAD and conducted random effects meta-analyses to examine the efficacy of psychotherapy compared to control conditions at post-treatment. RESULTS Sixty-six RCTs were included with 5560 participants and 98 comparisons between psychotherapy and control groups. Psychotherapy was effective in reducing SAD symptoms, with a large effect size (g = 0.88; 95 % CI: 0.76 to 1.0; I2 = 74 %; 95 % CI: 69 to 79, NNT = 3.8). Effects remained robust across sensitivity analyses. However, there was evidence for significant risk of bias in the included trials. The multivariable meta-regression indicated significant differences in treatment delivery formats, type of recruitment strategy, target group, and number of sessions. CONCLUSION Psychotherapy is an effective treatment for SAD, with moderate to large effect sizes across all treatment types and formats. Future research is needed to determine the long-term effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nino de Ponti
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Minoo Matbouriahi
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pamela Franco
- Department of Psychology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Millennium Institute for Research in Depression and Personality (MIDAP), Santiago, Chile
| | - Mathias Harrer
- Psychology & Digital Mental Health Care, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Clara Miguel
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Davide Papola
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Ayşesu Sicimoğlu
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pim Cuijpers
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Babes,-Bolyai University, International Institute for Psychotherapy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Dissemination of Psychological Interventions, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eirini Karyotaki
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mechler J, Lindqvist K, Magnusson K, Ringström A, Krafman JD, Alvinzi P, Kassius L, Sowa J, Andersson G, Carlbring P. Guided and unguided internet-delivered psychodynamic therapy for social anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial. NPJ MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2024; 3:21. [PMID: 38730030 PMCID: PMC11087569 DOI: 10.1038/s44184-024-00063-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is highly prevalent and debilitating disorder. Treatments exist but are not accessible and/or helpful for all patients, indicating a need for accessible treatment alternatives. The aim of the present trial was to evaluate internet-delivered psychodynamic therapy (IPDT) with and without therapist guidance, compared to a waitlist control condition, in the treatment of adults with SAD. In this randomized, clinical trial, we tested whether IPDT was superior to a waitlist control, and whether IPDT with therapeutic guidance was superior to unguided IPDT. Participants were recruited nationwide in Sweden. Eligible participants were ≥ 18 years old and scoring ≥ 60 on the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale self-report (LSAS-SR) whilst not fulfilling any of the exclusion criteria. Included participants were randomly assigned to IPDT with guidance (n = 60), IPDT without guidance (n = 61), or waitlist (n = 60). The IPDT intervention comprised eight self-help modules based on affect-focused dynamic therapy, delivered over 8 weeks on a secure online platform. The primary outcome was SAD symptoms severity measured weekly by the LSAS-SR. Primary analyses were calculated on an intention-to-treat sample including all participants randomly assigned. Secondary outcomes were depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety, quality of life, emotion regulation and defensive functioning. At post-treatment, both active treatments were superior to the waitlist condition with guided treatment exhibiting larger between group effects than unguided treatment (d = 1.07 95% CI [0.72, 1.43], p < .001 and d = 0.61, 95% CI [0.25, 0.98], p = .0018) on the LSAS-SR respectively. Guided IPDT lead to larger improvements than unguided IPDT (d = 0.46, 95% CI [0.11, 0.80], p < .01). At post-treatment, guided IPDT was superior to waitlist on all secondary outcome measures. Unguided IPDT was superior to waitlist on depressive symptoms and general anxiety, but not on emotion regulation, self-compassion or quality of life. Guided IPDT was superior to unguided PDT on depressive symptoms, with a trend towards superiority on a measure of generalized anxiety. At six and twelve month follow-up there were no significant differences between guided and unguided IPDT. In conclusion, IPDT shows promising effects in the treatment of SAD, with larger benefits from guided IPDT compared to non-guided, at least at post-treatment. This finding increases the range of accessible and effective treatment alternatives for adults suffering from SAD. The study was prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials (NCT05015166).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Mechler
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Karin Lindqvist
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kristoffer Magnusson
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, & Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Stockolm, Sweden
| | - Adrián Ringström
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Pär Alvinzi
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Love Kassius
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Josefine Sowa
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gerhard Andersson
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockolm, Sweden
| | - Per Carlbring
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yin J, Sun Y, Zhu Y, Alifujiang H, Wang Y, An S, Huang H, Fu X, Deng H, Chen Y. Effects of yoga on clinical symptoms, quality of life and social functioning in patients with schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Asian J Psychiatr 2024; 93:103959. [PMID: 38342034 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2024.103959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Yoga is gradually being explored as a potential complementary intervention in addition to psychiatric drugs for schizophrenia. However, there are conflicts on the efficacy of yoga for schizophrenia. This meta-analysis was aimed to evaluate the association of yoga intervention with reductions on clinical symptoms and improvements in quality of life (QoL) as well as social functioning among schizophrenia. METHOD Systematic literature search was undertaken to identify all RCTs that compared yoga with active or passive controls for patients with schizophrenia from inception to July 2023. The outcomes were measurements of positive symptoms, negative symptoms, QoL and social functioning. Random-effects models were performed to calculate the effect sizes in the standardized mean differences reporting as Hedges' s g statistic. RESULTS 19 studies enrolling 1274 participants with schizophrenia were included. Yoga had a medium effect on positive symptoms in the short term (Hedges's g = 0.31) and small effect in the long term (Hedges's g = 0.18). Medium significant effects were also found on negative symptoms in both the short term (Hedges's g = 0.44) and the long term (Hedges's g = 0.35). Yoga had a significant impact on improving both total QoL (Hedges's g = 0.34) and social functioning (Hedges's g = 0.45) with medium effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS Yoga was associated with significant reductions on negative and positive symptoms, and significant improvements in QoL as well as social functioning in patients with schizophrenia. Future research should explore the long-term efficacy of yoga for schizophrenia, encompassing more diverse populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingyu Yin
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuqi Sun
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yikang Zhu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Yi Wang
- Mianyang Central Hospital, Mianyang, China
| | - Siyao An
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Huiqun Huang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xi Fu
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hong Deng
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Ying Chen
- Department of Radiology and Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Linardon J, Torous J, Firth J, Cuijpers P, Messer M, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M. Current evidence on the efficacy of mental health smartphone apps for symptoms of depression and anxiety. A meta-analysis of 176 randomized controlled trials. World Psychiatry 2024; 23:139-149. [PMID: 38214614 PMCID: PMC10785982 DOI: 10.1002/wps.21183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The mental health care available for depression and anxiety has recently undergone a major technological revolution, with growing interest towards the potential of smartphone apps as a scalable tool to treat these conditions. Since the last comprehensive meta-analysis in 2019 established positive yet variable effects of apps on depressive and anxiety symptoms, more than 100 new randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been carried out. We conducted an updated meta-analysis with the objectives of providing more precise estimates of effects, quantifying generalizability from this evidence base, and understanding whether major app and trial characteristics moderate effect sizes. We included 176 RCTs that aimed to treat depressive or anxiety symptoms. Apps had overall significant although small effects on symptoms of depression (N=33,567, g=0.28, p<0.001; number needed to treat, NNT=11.5) and generalized anxiety (N=22,394, g=0.26, p<0.001, NNT=12.4) as compared to control groups. These effects were robust at different follow-ups and after removing small sample and higher risk of bias trials. There was less variability in outcome scores at post-test in app compared to control conditions (ratio of variance, RoV=-0.14, 95% CI: -0.24 to -0.05 for depressive symptoms; RoV=-0.21, 95% CI: -0.31 to -0.12 for generalized anxiety symptoms). Effect sizes for depression were significantly larger when apps incorporated cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) features or included chatbot technology. Effect sizes for anxiety were significantly larger when trials had generalized anxiety as a primary target and administered a CBT app or an app with mood monitoring features. We found evidence of moderate effects of apps on social anxiety (g=0.52) and obsessive-compulsive (g=0.51) symptoms, a small effect on post-traumatic stress symptoms (g=0.12), a large effect on acrophobia symptoms (g=0.90), and a non-significant negative effect on panic symptoms (g=-0.12), although these results should be considered with caution, because most trials had high risk of bias and were based on small sample sizes. We conclude that apps have overall small but significant effects on symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety, and that specific features of apps - such as CBT or mood monitoring features and chatbot technology - are associated with larger effect sizes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jake Linardon
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- Center for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
| | - John Torous
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph Firth
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
- Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Pim Cuijpers
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- International Institute for Psychotherapy, Babes¸-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Mariel Messer
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- Center for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|