Rappaport Lance M, Jerome Emily, Van Ameringen Michael, Whittal Maureen, McLean Carmen P
Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, Canada.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Canada.
J Mood Anxiety Disord. 2023 Oct 18;4:100036. doi: 10.1016/j.xjmad.2023.100036. eCollection 2023 Dec.
Evidence-based treatments can effectively address anxiety and related conditions. However, new resources are needed to make psychological interventions accessible to the substantial and increasing North American population affected by anxiety and related psychopathology.
The present study evaluated whether use of the MindShift app (Anxiety Canada) may help reduce anxiety symptoms and related depressive symptoms, quality-of-life, and functional impairment among adults 18 years of age and older.
Adults ages 18-80 (N = 380) participated in an online open-label trial to evaluate change in anxiety and related distress while using the MindShift smartphone app. Inclusion criteria: residence in Canada or the USA and self-identification of anxiety or anxious distress to address during the study. Participants reported the severity of four primary outcomes at baseline and 2-, 4-, 8-, 12-, and 16-weeks after they began using the MindShift app.
All four primary outcomes improved over the 16-week period: participants reported reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms; reduced functional impairment; and improved quality-of-life. Improvements were unrelated to the frequency with which participants used the MindShift app. Effect sizes indicated moderate change in anxiety symptoms (=0.61, < 0.0001), depressive symptoms (=0.50, < 0.0001), functional impairment (=0.55, < 0.0001), an quality-of-life (=0.31, < 0.0001) at the end of the 16-week intervention; improvements were consistent with response to treatment but not remission.
Overall, the MindShift app may provide a ready to scale low-cost resource to assist in meeting the mental health needs of adults across North America, particularly those who report mild or moderate symptom severity.
循证治疗可有效应对焦虑及相关病症。然而，需要新的资源，以使受焦虑及相关精神病理学影响的大量且不断增加的北美人群能够获得心理干预。
本研究评估使用MindShift应用程序（加拿大焦虑症协会）是否有助于减轻18岁及以上成年人的焦虑症状、相关抑郁症状、生活质量和功能损害。
18至80岁的成年人（N = 380）参与了一项在线开放标签试验，以评估使用MindShift智能手机应用程序时焦虑及相关困扰的变化。纳入标准：居住在加拿大或美国，且在研究期间自我认定有焦虑或焦虑困扰需要解决。参与者在开始使用MindShift应用程序后的基线以及第2、4、8、12和16周报告了四项主要结果的严重程度。
在16周期间，所有四项主要结果均有所改善：参与者报告焦虑和抑郁症状减轻；功能损害减轻；生活质量提高。改善情况与参与者使用MindShift应用程序的频率无关。效应量表明，在16周干预结束时，焦虑症状（=0.61，<0.0001）、抑郁症状（=0.50，<0.0001）、功能损害（=0.55，<0.0001）和生活质量（=0.31，<0.0001）有中度变化；改善情况与治疗反应一致，但未达到缓解。
总体而言，MindShift应用程序可能提供一种易于扩展的低成本资源，以帮助满足北美成年人的心理健康需求，特别是那些报告症状严重程度为轻度或中度的人。
