Computer-aided psychotherapy for anxiety disorders: a meta-analytic review. 2009

Pim Cuijpers, and Isaac M Marks, and Annemieke van Straten, and Kate Cavanagh, and Lina Gega, and Gerhard Andersson
Department of Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. P.Cuijpers@psy.vu.nl

Computer-aided psychotherapy (CP) is said to (1) be as effective as face-to-face psychotherapy, while requiring less therapist time, for anxiety disorder sufferers, (2) speed access to care, and (3) save traveling time. CP may be delivered on stand-alone or Internet-linked computers, palmtop computers, phone-interactive voice response, DVDs, and cell phones. The authors performed a meta-analysis of 23 randomised controlled studies (RCTs) that compared CP with non-CP in anxiety disorders: phobias, n = 10; panic disorder/agoraphobia, n = 9; PTSD, n = 3; obsessive-compulsive disorder, n = 1. Overall mean effect size of CP compared with non-CP was 1.08 (95% confidence interval: 0.84-1.32). CP and face-to-face psychotherapy did not differ significantly from each other (13 comparisons, d = -0.06). Much caution is needed when interpreting the findings indicating that outcome was unrelated to type of disorder, type of comparison group, mode of CP delivery (Internet, stand-alone PC, palmtop), and recency of the CP system and that effect size decreased when more therapist time was replaced by the computer. Because CP as a whole was as effective as face-to-face psychotherapy, certain forms of CP deserve to be integrated into routine practice.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011613 Psychotherapy A generic term for the treatment of mental illness or emotional disturbances primarily by verbal or nonverbal communication. Psychotherapies
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001008 Anxiety Disorders Persistent and disabling ANXIETY. Anxiety Neuroses,Anxiety States, Neurotic,Neuroses, Anxiety,Anxiety Disorder,Anxiety State, Neurotic,Disorder, Anxiety,Disorders, Anxiety,Neurotic Anxiety State,Neurotic Anxiety States,State, Neurotic Anxiety,States, Neurotic Anxiety
D013813 Therapy, Computer-Assisted Computer systems utilized as adjuncts in the treatment of disease. Computer-Assisted Therapy,Protocol-Directed Therapy, Computer-Assisted,Computer-Assisted Protocol-Directed Therapy,Therapy, Computer-Assisted Protocol-Directed,Computer Assisted Protocol Directed Therapy,Computer Assisted Therapy,Computer-Assisted Protocol-Directed Therapies,Computer-Assisted Therapies,Protocol Directed Therapy, Computer Assisted,Protocol-Directed Therapies, Computer-Assisted,Therapies, Computer-Assisted,Therapies, Computer-Assisted Protocol-Directed,Therapy, Computer Assisted,Therapy, Computer Assisted Protocol Directed

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