title: Self-help and Internet-guided interventions in depression and anxiety disorders: a systematic review of meta-analyses.
abstract: There is a growing database of research on self-help and internet-guided interventions in the treatment of common mental disorders, and a number of meta-analyses have now been published. This article provides a systematic review of meta-analyses on the efficacy of self-help interventions, including internet-guided therapy, for depression and anxiety disorders. Searches were conducted in PubMed, PsychINFO, EMBASE, and the Cochrane database for statistical meta-analyses of randomized, controlled trials of self-help or internet-guided interventions for depression or anxiety disorders published in English. Reference lists were also used to find additional studies. Effect sizes were tabulated; 13 meta-analyses reported medium to large effect sizes for self-help interventions. Studies included in the meta-analyses differed in samples, type of self-help (eg, computer-aided, internet-guided), control conditions, and study design. The meta-analyses indicate that self-help methods are effective in a range of different disorders, including depression and anxiety disorders. Most meta-analyses found relatively large effect sizes for self-help treatments, independent of the type of self-help, and comparable to effect sizes for face-to-face treatments. However, further research is needed to optimize the use of self-help methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the University of Cape Town, Cape Town South Africa.
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Van't Hof
authors.forename: Pim
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cuijpers
authors.forename: Dan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D011643:Publishing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*