Clinical trial NCT05560581: Digital Self-efficacy Training to Bridge Waiting Times for Psychotherapy
Official title: Digital Self-efficacy Training to Bridge Waiting Times for Psychotherapy
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Psychiatric Disorder
Waiting for Psychotherapy
Lead sponsor: Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2022-09-29
Enrollment: 94
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 65
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief summary: The main aim of this project is to improve waiting periods for specialised psychotherapy. We will apply a brief, smartphone-based self-efficacy training to patients with psychiatric disorders waiting for specialised psychotherapy. Additionally, we will use Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to assess mood, social contacts, and other parameters daily. We will investigate whether the training can improve self-efficacy and related constructs and if it can help reduce stress and waitlist drop-outs during waiting periods. Additionally, we will investigate if the self-efficacy training has a positive effect on motivation and therapeutical relationship regarding the subsequent therapy.

After a screening for eligibility, participants will be randomly assigned to intervention and control group. At baseline, participants attend a laboratory session where they are assessed for current psychiatric disorders and further relevant psychological variables. They will then either participate in the digital self-efficacy training combined with EMA (intervention group) or in EMA only (control group). Both will be conducted via a smartphone app. Subsequently, participants will be asked to fill in post questionnaires at three different time points: after having finished app usage, one month later, and after the beginning of the subsequent psychotherapy.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* psychiatric disorder
* age 18-65
* waiting for psychiatric assessment/treatment (being on waitlist)
* sufficient knowledge of the German language
* smartphone user
* internet access via smartphone
* internet access at home (laptop, tablet, or computer)

Exclusion Criteria:

* current intense psychotherapy
* acute suicidality
* acute psychotic symptoms
* substance addiction

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in self-efficacy
timeFrame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in hopelessness
timeFrame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
measure: Change in anxiety
timeFrame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
measure: Change in stress
timeFrame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
measure: Change in therapy expectations
timeFrame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
measure: Change in depression
timeFrame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
measure: Change in optimism
timeFrame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
measure: Change in intolerance of uncertainty
timeFrame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
Other outcomes:
measure: Change in mood and contacts
timeFrame: 3 per day during one-week
measure: Change in in ability to work
timeFrame: baseline to 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
measure: Motivation and life enjoyment
timeFrame: baseline to 1 day after the intervention, 1 month after the intervention, within 1 month after the subsequent therapy began
Locations:
city: Winterthur
country: Switzerland
facility: Integrated Psychiatry Winterthur
city: Zurich
country: Switzerland
facility: Psychiatric University Hospital
Study officials:
affiliation: Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich
name: Judith Rohde, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: