ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There is often a waiting period for people who seek psychiatric treatment for depression or anxiety. As this delay risks worsening symptoms, an alternative could be to provide an intervention that requires minimal resources during the waiting period. AIMS: The aim was to investigate if a digital problem-solving intervention delivered in a self-guided format with automated features is feasible to provide for patients on the waiting list in routine psychiatric care. METHOD: A total of 12 patients with symptoms of depression or anxiety on the waiting list for treatment in routine psychiatric care were given access to a self-guided and monitored digital problem-solving intervention over 4 weeks. Primary outcome measures were treatment credibility and usability. Secondary outcome measures were behavioural engagement, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and negative effects. RESULTS: A majority of participants rated the intervention as both credible and usable. The intervention was used at least once by nine out of 12 individuals, with an average of 11 logins. The participants did, on average, initiate 2.8 problem-solving attempts and 10.1 solutions. A few participants reached a clinically relevant symptom improvement of depression and anxiety. No serious negative effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: The credibility and usability of the intervention was perceived as good, and the behavioural engagement with the intervention was deemed sufficient compared with similar self-guided interventions. A self-guided and monitored digital problem-solving intervention may be a beneficial option for patients waiting for or receiving treatment in routine psychiatric care, and should be further evaluated.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: To better direct assessments and interventions toward the general population during both the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and future crises with societal restrictions, data on the types of practical and emotional problems that people are experiencing are needed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the types of practical and emotional problems that the general population is experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic and to construct an empirically derived inventory based on the findings. METHODS: A total of 396 participants, recruited among members of the general public in Sweden who were experiencing practical and/or emotional problems during the pandemic, accessed a self-guided digital problem-solving intervention for a period of 1 week to report and solve the problems they experienced. Prior to accessing the intervention, the participants completed a short self-assessment regarding symptoms of depression and anxiety. Content analysis was used to account for the types of problems participants reported. A set of items for an inventory was later proposed based on the problem categories derived from the analysis. RESULTS: A majority of participants had clinically relevant symptoms of either depression or anxiety. The problems reported were categorized as 13 distinct types of problems. The most common problem was difficulty managing daily activities. Based on the categories, a 13-item inventory was proposed. CONCLUSIONS: The 13 types of problems, and the proposed inventory, could be valuable when composing assessments and interventions for the general population during the ongoing pandemic or similar crises with societal restrictions. The most common problem was of a practical nature, indicating the importance of including examples of such problems within assessments and interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04677270; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04677270.