背景:数字心理健康干预(DMHI)可以减少那些经历抑郁和/或焦虑症状的人的治疗机会问题。包含关系代理的DMHI可以提供独特的方式来吸引和响应用户,并可能有助于减轻提供商的负担。这项研究测试了Woebot的情绪和焦虑(W-MA-02),一个雇佣Woebot的DMHI,一个包含了几种基于证据的心理治疗元素的关系代理,在那些有基线临床水平的抑郁或焦虑症状。测量了8周内自我报告的抑郁和焦虑症状的变化,以及这些结局与人口统计学和临床特征之间的关联。
方法:这是探索性的,单臂,对256名成年人进行的为期8周的研究得出了非互斥的子样本,在基线时具有临床水平的抑郁或焦虑症状。在抑郁子样本(PHQ-8≥10)中测量了第8周患者健康问卷-8(PHQ-8)的变化。在焦虑子样本(GAD-7≥10)中测量了第8周广泛性焦虑症-7(GAD-7)的变化。通过针对W-MA-02利用进行调整的双变量和多元回归模型来检查与症状变化相关的人口统计学和临床特征。特征包括年龄,出生时的性别,种族/民族,婚姻状况,教育,性取向,就业状况,健康保险,抑郁和焦虑症状的基线水平,以及研究期间同时进行的心理治疗或精神药物治疗。
结果:抑郁和焦虑子样本主要是女性,受过教育,非西班牙裔白人,平均年龄38岁和37岁,分别。抑郁子样本在第8周时抑郁症状显著减轻(平均变化=-7.28,SD=5.91,Cohen\sd=-1.23,p<0.01);焦虑子样本在第8周时焦虑症状显著减轻(平均变化=-7.45,SD=5.99,Cohen\sd=-1.24,p<0.01)。出生时性别之间没有发现明显的关联,年龄,就业状况,教育背景和第8周症状变化。抑郁和焦虑症状结果与性取向之间存在显着关联,婚姻状况,同时进行心理健康治疗,并发现基线症状严重程度。
结论:本研究表明W-MA-02可以早期干预抑郁和/或焦虑症状。虽然在自然界中具有探索性,这项研究揭示了与结局相关的潜在用户特征,这些特征可以在未来的研究中进行调查.
背景:这项研究于1月5日在ClinicalTrials.gov(#NCT05672745)上进行了回顾性注册,2023年。
BACKGROUND: Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) may reduce treatment access issues for those experiencing depressive and/or anxiety symptoms. DMHIs that incorporate relational agents may offer unique ways to engage and respond to users and to potentially help reduce provider burden. This study tested Woebot for Mood & Anxiety (W-MA-02), a DMHI that employs Woebot, a relational agent that incorporates elements of several evidence-based psychotherapies, among those with baseline clinical levels of depressive or anxiety symptoms. Changes in self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms over 8 weeks were measured, along with the association between each of these outcomes and demographic and clinical characteristics.
METHODS: This exploratory, single-arm, 8-week study of 256 adults yielded non-mutually exclusive subsamples with either clinical levels of depressive or anxiety symptoms at baseline. Week 8 Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) changes were measured in the depressive subsample (PHQ-8 ≥ 10). Week 8 Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) changes were measured in the anxiety subsample (GAD-7 ≥ 10). Demographic and clinical characteristics were examined in association with symptom changes via bivariate and multiple regression models adjusted for W-MA-02 utilization. Characteristics included age, sex at birth, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, sexual orientation, employment status, health insurance, baseline levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and concurrent psychotherapeutic or psychotropic medication treatments during the study.
RESULTS: Both the depressive and anxiety subsamples were predominantly female, educated, non-Hispanic white, and averaged 38 and 37 years of age, respectively. The depressive subsample had significant reductions in depressive symptoms at Week 8 (mean change =-7.28, SD = 5.91, Cohen\'s d = -1.23, p < 0.01); the anxiety subsample had significant reductions in anxiety symptoms at Week 8 (mean change = -7.45, SD = 5.99, Cohen\'s d = -1.24, p < 0.01). No significant associations were found between sex at birth, age, employment status, educational background and Week 8 symptom changes. Significant associations between depressive and anxiety symptom outcomes and sexual orientation, marital status, concurrent mental health treatment, and baseline symptom severity were found.
CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests early promise for W-MA-02 as an intervention for depression and/or anxiety symptoms. Although exploratory in nature, this study revealed potential user characteristics associated with outcomes that can be investigated in future studies.
BACKGROUND: This study was retrospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (#NCT05672745) on January 5th, 2023.