Is only one cognitive technique also effective? Results from a randomized controlled trial of two different versions of an internet-based cognitive behavioural intervention for post-traumatic stress disorder in Arabic-speaking countries
Creators: name: Böttche, Maria
name: Wagner, Birgit
name: Vöhringer, Max
name: Heinrich, Manuel
name: Stein, Jana
name: Selmo, Pirko
name: Stammel, Nadine
name: Knaevelsrud, Christine
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: <b>Background</b>: Internet-based cognitive-behavioural interventions seem to be effective for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Arabic-speaking countries in the MENA region. However, due to high prevalence rates of trauma-related mental disorders in this region, it is important to scale up existing Internet-based interventions in order to increase the number of clients. <b>Objective</b>: The aim of the study was to examine whether a brief Internet-based intervention with one cognitive technique (TF-short, 6 assignments) results in the same PTSD symptom change and lower dropouts compared to a longer intervention with two cognitive techniques (TF-reg, 10 assignments). <b>Method</b>: A total of 224 Arab participants (67.4% female; <i>M</i> = 25.3 years old) with PTSD were randomly assigned to Internet-based CBT with either a TF-reg protocol (<i>n</i> = 110) or a TF-short protocol (<i>n</i> = 114). Symptoms of PTSD and secondary outcomes (anxiety, depression, somatic complaints, quality of life) were self-assessed online at baseline and post-treatment. Treatment-associated changes were estimated using multigroup latent difference score models. <b>Results</b>: The overall PTSD score assessed with the PDS decreased by about 15 points in both conditions. The between-group differences (TF-reg vs. TF-short) at post-assessment were non-significant, Δ = 0.29, <i>p</i> = .896, <i>d</i> = 0.02, 95% CI [-0.30, 0.34]. Like the primary outcome, all within-group changes for the secondary outcomes throughout the intervention were statistically significant and all between-group effects were non-significant. Overall, the dropout rates did not differ between the two conditions, χ2 (1/<i>N</i> = 175) = 0.83, <i>p</i> = .364. <b>Conclusions</b>: The findings suggest that the shorter condition results in the same symptom change and dropout rate as the longer condition. This highlights the potential of shorter, more scalable Internet-based interventions in socially restricted and (post-)conflict societies. <b>ClinicalTrials.gov ID</b>: NCT01508377 There are no differences regarding PTSD symptom change between an I-CBT with one cognitive technique and a version with two cognitive techniques.Results seem to be promising, as they allow CBT to be offered and scaled up in (post)conflict and socially restricted regions. There are no differences regarding PTSD symptom change between an I-CBT with one cognitive technique and a version with two cognitive techniques. Results seem to be promising, as they allow CBT to be offered and scaled up in (post)conflict and socially restricted regions.