Williams et al (2013) Flashcards
What was the aim?
To see if a combined treatment of a 7 day cognitive bias modification training program with internet CBT after for 10 weeks would reduce symptoms of depression
Did they compare the data to a control group?
Yes
How did they measure improvement?
Using self report data
What was the minimum sample size for each group?
21
Where were participants recruited from?
The Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression
How were they screened before taking part?
By completing online questionnaires
How were they diagnosed?
Using a telephoned diagnostic interview
How many participants in total?
69 but 53 actually took part
How many participants in the intervention group?
38, 26 acutally completed it
How many participants in the wait list control?
31, 27 actually completed it
What did the WLC group do?
Completed iCBT after the intervention group had done their cognitive bias modification training and their iCBT
What primary measures did they use to gather data?
- Beck Depression Inventory
- Depression Scale of Patient Health
- Kessler Psychological Distress Scale
- Ambiguous scenarios test
What secondary measures did they use to gather data?
- World Health Organisation disability assessment
- State Trait Anxiety Inventory
- Repetitive Thinking Questionnaire
What % of significant change was found in the intervention group compared to the WLC?
Intervention - 27%
WLC - 0.07%
What is cognitive bias modification?
A computerised training program, individuals presented with scenarious that could have multiple interpretations , , they are always resolved in a positive manner
What did the combined intervention of iCBT and CBM help to reduce?
Distress, disability and anxiety
What the the WLC group do?
Completed primary and secondary intial tests and then waited 10 weeks before doing iCBT and then questionnaires after
What did the intervention group do?
Completed primary and secondary initial tests and then had a 7 day course of CBM followed by iCBT for 10 weeks and then more questionnaires
How do we know the CBM had an effect?
The ambiguous scenarios test slightly increased suggesting there was a slight increase in positive interpretations
Is the study generalisable?
Large sample size makes the sample more representative of the entire population although can only be generalised to the western world
What controls were put in place?
- All completed the same primary and secondary measures
- 10 weeks between treatment - standardised
- All screened
How might the data not be reliable?
Uses self report data which means there might be social disarability bias, may have felt like they SHOULD have improved so might have lied
Why could it be said to be reliable?
Multiple different questionnaires that seem to show improvement for the intervention group, shows consistency
What is the issue is with temporal validity?
Unable to establish whether the same patterns would be found weeks later as depression can be cyclical meaning that they may not feel the same if it was repeated
What is the application of the study?
could reduce the time between diagnosis and treatment and potentially save lives
Does it have ecological validity?
Took place at participants’ homes in a comfortable environment meaning that the environment probably wouldn’t have affected results
What increases validity?
That interviews as well as questionnaires were used
What limits validity?
Unable to establish if overall final change was due to one program or the combination of both. CBM could have impacted the effectivenss of iCBT
What prevents the influence of individual differences?
Looked to see if there were any significant differences between genders, those who took medication and age and there weren’t
How are ethics improved?
69 patients all gave informed consent before the study began and were put through a screening process to check their suitablity for treatment
Was the overall outcome beneficial?
Yes, ultimately helps participants fight depression when otherwise they would have been waiting for treatment
