A short-term, self-help, internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy intervention for decreasing symptoms of generalized anxiety

The mental health gap has considerably increased due to the pandemic. The most commonly experienced problem is anxiety, with 374 million people affected by anxiety disorders in 2021, marking a 25% increase from 2020. Moreover, 60% of people with anxiety disorders wait a median of 8 years before treatment. Out of anxiety diagnoses, generalized anxiety disorder is the most common. Untreated people suffer, and the resulting disabilities burden the households and economies, especially in low to middle-income countries. A plausible solution to reduce this gap is using internet-based technologies to deliver therapeutic and educational content. Mobile applications and websites offering mental health services become globally popular because they are accessible, cost-effective, and anonymous. Yet, there is limited research about such interventions in the Turkish language. The present study consisted of two phases: The pilot study was conducted to improve the intervention. The main study assessed the modified intervention through a randomized waitlist-controlled trial. The intervention included 10 sessions, each consisting of 4 modules: psychoeducational content, iCBT modules, relaxation exercises, and suggested daily activities. Participants completed the sessions in 14 days, and filled GAD-7, PHQ-9, and WHO–5 questionnaires at baseline, post-test, and one-month follow-up. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to test whether the intervention is effective in reducing generalized anxiety symptoms in the intervention group compared to the wait-list control group, as well as depression symptoms, and in increasing well-being scores. The results suggested that the iCBT intervention was effective in reducing the symptoms of anxiety and depression.