Feasibility and clinical utility of a transdiagnostic Internet-delivered rational emotive and behavioral intervention for adolescents with anxiety and depressive disorders

Abstract

BackgroundTransdiagnostic interventions delivered for children and adolescents show promising results. In order to increase access to treatment, recent developments in technology have led to alternatives to face-to-face interventions. Transdiagnostic Internet-delivered interventions can be effective for adult anxiety and depressive disorders, but research is more limited regarding the efficacy of such treatments for young populations diagnosed with anxiety and or depressive disorders. ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the feasibility and clinical utility of a transdiagnostic Internet-delivered intervention based on Rational emotive behavior therapy for adolescents diagnosed with anxiety and depressive disorders. MethodsWe tested the preliminary efficacy of a six-week intervention in an open trial, pre-post design. ResultsOur results suggest that the intervention is feasible and can be included as a treatment for adolescents with anxiety and depressive disorders, being associated with moderate to large pre-post effect sizes on self-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as on negative patterns of thinking and knowledge acquisition. Satisfaction with the intervention was high. ConclusionsTransdiagnostic Internet-delivered interventions for adolescents with anxiety and depressive symptoms are feasible. Future testing of the efficacy of such interventions in randomized controlled trials should be conducted.