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Internet-based treatment for panic disorder : does frequency of therapist contact make a difference?
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posted on 2009-06-01, 00:00 authored by B Klein, David AustinDavid Austin, Ciaran Pier, L Kiropoulos, Kerrie Shandley, J Mitchell, K Gilson, L CiechomskiInternet-based interventions with therapist support have proven effective for treating a range of mental health conditions. This study examined whether frequency of therapist contact affected treatment outcomes. Fifty-seven people with panic disorder (including 32 with agoraphobia) were randomly allocated to an 8-week Internet-based cognitive behavioural treatment intervention (Panic Online) with either frequent (three e-mails per week) or infrequent (one e-mail per week) support from a psychologist. Posttreatment, intention-to-treat analyses revealed that both treatments were effective at improving panic disorder and agoraphobia severity ratings, panicrelated cognitions, negative affect, and psychological and physical quality of life domains, with no differences between conditions. High end-state functioning was achieved by 28.6% of the frequent and infrequent participants, respectively. Therapist alliance, treatment credibility, and satisfaction also did not differ between groups, despite significantly greater therapist time invested in the frequent contact condition. The results provide evidence that the effectiveness of Internet-based mental health interventions may be independent of the frequency of therapist support and may, therefore, be more cost-effective than previously reported.
History
Journal
Cognitive behaviour therapyVolume
38Issue
2Pagination
100 - 113Publisher
RoutledgeLocation
Abingdon, EnglandPublisher DOI
ISSN
1650-6073eISSN
1651-2316Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2009, Taylor & FrancisUsage metrics
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