title: Psychodynamic guided self-help for adult depression through the internet: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Psychodynamic psychotherapy (PDT) is an effective treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD), but not all clients with MDD can receive psychotherapy. Using the Internet to provide psychodynamic treatments is one way of improving access to psychological treatments for MDD. The aim of this randomised controlled trial was to investigate the efficacy of an Internet-based psychodynamic guided self-help treatment for MDD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-two participants who were diagnosed with MDD according to the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview were randomised to treatment or an active control. The treatment consisted of nine treatment modules based on psychodynamic principles with online therapist contact. The active control condition was a structured support intervention and contained psychoeducation and scheduled weekly contacts online. Both interventions lasted for 10 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mixed-effects model analyses of all randomised participants showed that participants receiving Internet-based PDT made large and superior improvements compared with the active control group on the BDI-II (between-group Cohen's d = 1.11). Treatment effects were maintained at a 10-month follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Internet-based psychodynamic guided self-help is an efficacious treatment for MDD that has the potential to increase accessibility and availability of PDT for MDD.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01324050.
authors: Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Sweden. robert.johansson@liu.se
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Johansson
authors: Sigrid
authors: S
authors: Ekbladh
authors: Amanda
authors: A
authors: Hebert
authors: Malin
authors: M
authors: Lindström
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Möller
authors: Eleanor
authors: E
authors: Petitt
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Poysti
authors: Mattias Holmqvist
authors: MH
authors: Larsson
authors: Andréas
authors: A
authors: Rousseau
authors: Per
authors: P
authors: Carlbring
authors: Pim
authors: P
authors: Cuijpers
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Andersson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult