title: Guided and unguided Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for social anxiety disorder and/or panic disorder provided via the Internet and a smartphone application: A randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be effective in treating anxiety disorders, yet there has been no study on Internet-delivered ACT for social anxiety disorder (SAD) and panic disorder (PD), nor any study investigating whether therapist guidance is superior to unguided self-help when supplemented with a smartphone application. In the current trial, n=152 participants diagnosed with SAD and/or PD were randomized to therapist-guided or unguided treatment, or a waiting-list control group. Both treatment groups used an Internet-delivered ACT-based treatment program and a smartphone application. Outcome measures were self-rated general and social anxiety and panic symptoms. Treatment groups saw reduced general (d=0.39) and social anxiety (d=0.70), but not panic symptoms (d=0.05) compared to the waiting-list group, yet no differences in outcomes were observed between guided and unguided interventions. We conclude that Internet-delivered ACT is appropriate for treating SAD and potentially PD. Smartphone applications may partially compensate for lack of therapist support.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: ekaterina.ivanova@psychology.su.se.
authors.forename: Ekaterina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ivanova
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: philip.lindner@ki.se.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lindner
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Science and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. Electronic address: kienhoa.ly@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kien Hoa
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ly
authors.affiliation: Psykologpartners, Linköping, Sweden. Electronic address: mats.dahlin@psykologpartners.se.
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dahlin
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Science and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Psykologpartners, Linköping, Sweden. Electronic address: kristofer.vernmark@psykologpartners.se.
authors.forename: Kristofer
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vernmark
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Behavioral Science and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. Electronic address: gerhard.andersson@liu.se.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: per@carlbring.se.
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carlbring
mesh_terms: D064869:Acceptance and Commitment Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D000072861:Phobia, Social / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012648:Self Care; D000068997:Smartphone; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Anxiety disorders; Cognitive behavior therapy; Internet interventions; Therapist support; mHealth