University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Psychother Psychosom. 2022;91(1):63-72. doi: 10.1159/000520283. Epub 2021 Dec 7.
Anxiety and depression have increased markedly during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a lack of evidence-based strategies to address these mental health needs during the pandemic.
We aim to conduct a proof-of-concept trial of the efficacy of a brief group-based psychological intervention delivered via videoconferencing for adults in Australia distressed by the pandemic.
In this single-blind, parallel, randomised controlled trial, adults who screened positive for COVID-related psychological distress across Australia were randomly allocated to either a 6-session group-based program based on behavioural principles (n = 120) or enhanced usual care (EUC, n = 120). Primary outcome was total score on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HADS) anxiety and depression subscales assessed at baseline, 1 week posttreatment, 2 months (primary outcome time point), and 6 months after treatment, as well as secondary outcome measures of worry, sleep impairment, anhedonia, mood, and COVID-19-related stress.
Between May 20, 2020, and October 20, 2020, 240 patients were enrolled into the trial. Relative to EUC, at 2 months participants receiving intervention showed greater reduction on anxiety (mean difference, 1.4 [95% CI, 0.3 to 2.6], p = 0.01; effect size, 0.4 [95% CI, 0.1 to 0.7]) and depression (mean difference, 1.6 [95% CI, 0.4 to 2.8], p = 0.009; effect size, 0.4 [95% CI, 0.2 to 0.7]) scales. These effects were maintained at 6 months. There were also greater reductions of worry, anhedonia, COVID-19-related fears, and contamination fears.
This trial provides initial evidence that brief group-based behavioural intervention delivered via videoconferencing results in moderate reductions in common psychological problems arising during the COVID-19 pandemic. This program may offer a viable and scalable means to mitigate the rising mental health problems during the pandemic.
在 COVID-19 大流行期间，焦虑和抑郁明显增加。在大流行期间，缺乏针对这些心理健康需求的基于证据的策略。
我们旨在针对澳大利亚因大流行而感到困扰的成年人，通过视频会议进行基于小组的简短心理干预的疗效进行概念验证试验。
在这项单盲、平行、随机对照试验中，澳大利亚各地筛查出与 COVID 相关心理困扰的成年人被随机分配到基于行为原则的 6 节小组方案（n = 120）或增强的常规护理（EUC，n = 120）。主要结局是基线、治疗后 1 周、2 个月（主要结局时间点）和治疗后 6 个月时使用医院焦虑和抑郁量表（HADS）焦虑和抑郁分量表评估的总分，以及次要结局指标为担忧、睡眠障碍、快感缺失、情绪和 COVID-19 相关压力。
2020 年 5 月 20 日至 2020 年 10 月 20 日，共有 240 名患者入组试验。与 EUC 相比，在 2 个月时，接受干预的参与者在焦虑（平均差异，1.4 [95%CI，0.3 至 2.6]，p = 0.01；效应量，0.4 [95%CI，0.1 至 0.7]）和抑郁（平均差异，1.6 [95%CI，0.4 至 2.8]，p = 0.009；效应量，0.4 [95%CI，0.2 至 0.7]）量表上的得分降低更为显著。这些效果在 6 个月时仍然存在。担忧、快感缺失、COVID-19 相关恐惧和污染恐惧也有更大程度的降低。
这项试验初步提供了证据，证明通过视频会议进行的简短基于小组的行为干预可导致 COVID-19 大流行期间常见心理问题的适度减轻。该方案可能为减轻大流行期间不断上升的心理健康问题提供一种可行且可扩展的方法。
