title: Behavioural activation versus mindfulness-based guided self-help treatment administered through a smartphone application: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluating and comparing the effectiveness of two smartphone-delivered treatments: one based on behavioural activation (BA) and other on mindfulness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parallel randomised controlled, open, trial. Participants were allocated using an online randomisation tool, handled by an independent person who was separate from the staff conducting the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  General community, with recruitment nationally through mass media and advertisements.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 participants diagnosed with major depressive disorder received a BA treatment, and 41 participants received a mindfulness treatment. 9 participants were lost at the post-treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 8-week long behaviour programme administered via a smartphone application. Mindfulness: An 8-week long mindfulness programme, administered via a smartphone application.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-9).
  
  
  RESULTS
  81 participants were randomised (mean age 36.0 years (SD=10.8)) and analysed. Results showed no significant interaction effects of group and time on any of the outcome measures either from pretreatment to post-treatment or from pretreatment to the 6-month follow-up. Subgroup analyses showed that the BA treatment was more effective than the mindfulness treatment among participants with higher initial severity of depression from pretreatment to the 6-month follow-up (PHQ-9: F (1, 362.1)=5.2, p<0.05). In contrast, the mindfulness treatment worked better than the BA treatment among participants with lower initial severity from pretreatment to the 6-month follow-up (PHQ-9: F (1, 69.3)=7.7, p<0.01); BDI-II: (F(1, 53.60)=6.25, p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The two interventions did not differ significantly from one another. For participants with higher severity of depression, the treatment based on BA was superior to the treatment based on mindfulness. For participants with lower initial severity, the treatment based on mindfulness worked significantly better than the treatment based on BA.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinical Trials NCT01463020.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kien Hoa
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ly
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trüschel
authors.forename: Linnea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jarl
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Magnusson
authors.forename: Tove
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Windahl
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carlbring
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andersson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064866:Mindfulness; D063731:Mobile Applications; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012648:Self Care; D000068997:Smartphone; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Behavioral Activation; Depression; Mindfulness; Smartphone Application