The effect of adaptive actions on treatment outcomes

Why was the study done?

This study was done to understand how certain meaningful actions people do every day, called “adaptive actions,” can help with depression and anxiety. Through this study, we could learn more about if actions such as healthy thinking and doing enjoyable things can make a difference for ICBT course users.

What was done in the study?

The researchers gave participants access to an ICBT course and, at the beginning and end of treatment, asked them how often they use adaptive actions each week. Participants differed on whether they received weekly or optional messages from their assigned therapist. We then examined how adaptive actions and the level of therapist contact affected people’s feelings of depression and anxiety.

What did we find out?

We learned that frequently doing these daily actions helped people feel better during treatment. Improvements in mood were found in both weekly and optional frequency groups. We also found that certain actions, like healthy thinking and goal setting, were especially helpful for reducing feelings of depression.

Where do we go from here?

Based on these findings, researchers can create simpler and more focused therapies that emphasize these helpful actions. This could include recommending daily activities that are enjoyable or encouraging helpful thinking patterns. Future studies can also explore how different levels of support affect people’s progress during treatment.