title: [Web-based rehabilitation aftercare following inpatient psychosomatic treatment].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High relapse rates following treatment for mental health disorders are a challenge for psychosomatic rehabilitation treatments. The goal of the present study is to evaluate the feasibility, acceptance and process-quality of a 12-week transdiagnostic Internet-based maintenance treatment (W-RENA) following psychosomatic rehabilitation treatment. Findings regarding effectiveness and moderators of treatment outcome that were already reported elsewhere are briefly summarized.In a preliminary study we first assessed whether rehab patients have the technical requirements and abilities to successfully participate in Internet-based treatments. Patients expressing interest for participation in W-RENA (N=400) were compared with non-participants (N=1789) with regard to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a 2-arm randomized controlled trial (N=400) we subsequently compared participants of W-RENA with participants of a treatment as usual group (TAU). Self-report measures were assessed at the beginning of inpatient treatment (t1), at discharge from inpatient treatment/start of W-RENA (t2), and at 3- (t3) and 12-months follow-ups (t4).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of assessed rehab-patients had the technical prerequisites (78.79%) and necessary skills (79.9%) to successfully participate in an Internet-based intervention. A third of the patients (32%) which were invited to take part in the intervention (and the study) expressed interest to participate. Study participants and non-participants differed only slightly. Most participants (80.6%) reported to have gained benefit from participating. Treatment achievements as well as quality of therapist alliance were rated high from both patients and therapists. Moreover, participants of the W-RENA group could stabilize their inpatient treatment outcomes up to 3- and 12-months follow-up better than controls could do (differences in symptom change from discharge to 3-months follow-up: d=0.38; to 12-months follow-up: d=0.55). Clinical significant symptom deterioration from discharge to 1-year follow-up could be reduced by 2/3 (29.45% vs. 11.45%). We could not identify any subgroup not profiting from study participation. Patients with low education benefited particularly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Internet-based aftercare interventions are a feasible, accepted and effective approach to successfully sustain treatment outcomes achieved in inpatient psychosomatic rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, Fachbereich Psychologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg. ebert@leuphana.de
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Ebert
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hannig
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tarnowski
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sieland
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Götzky
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berking
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult