Exploring the Feasibility of Internet-Delivered Treatment of Depression and Anxiety in Chinese-Speaking International University Students in Australia in Two Open Trials

Abstract

Two open trials examined the feasibility of a transdiagnostic internet-delivered cognitive-behavioural therapy (iCBT) treatment for Chinese-speaking international university students in Australia. Participants were diagnosed with depression, anxiety or both. The primary outcome measures were the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), which measure anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. In Study 1 (N=8), a minority (25%) of participants completed a non-culturally adapted iCBT intervention and obtained significant reductions in GAD-7 scores but non-significant reductions in PHQ-9 scores from pre-treatment to threemonth follow-up. Large within-group effect sizes (Cohen’s d) of 1.46 and 1.76 were found at follow-up on the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, respectively. In Study 2 (N=4), 75% of participants completed a brief and culturally-adapted version of the intervention from Study 1 and obtained significant reductions in PHQ-9 scores but non-significant reductions in GAD-7 scores from pre-treatment to three-month follow-up. Large within-group effect sizes of 3.79 and 1.80 on the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were found at follow-up, respectively. These results provide preliminary support for a transdiagnostic iCBT intervention for treating depression and anxiety in this population. However, considerable recruitment and engagement difficulties were encountered with this population, and possible solutions for these challenges are discussed.