Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33303442›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2020

Study protocol for a network meta-analysis of digital-technology-based psychotherapies for PTSD in adults.

Longtao He, Yanling Geng, Yangu Pan, Jinhui Tian, Xinyu He, Xiangshu Deng, Wenjie Duan, Huamin Peng

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact, top 80% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 0 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Longtao HeResearch Institute of Social Development, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, Sichuan, China lzhlt01@hotmail.com.ORCID 0000-0001-7072-7457
Yanling GengDepartment of Social Work, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shanxi, China.
Yangu PanResearch Institute of Social Development, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Jinhui TianEvidence-Based Medicine Centre & School of Basic Science, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.
Xinyu HeSchool of Social Development, Xihua University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Xiangshu DengResearch Institute of Social Development, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Wenjie DuanDepartment of Social Work, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
Huamin PengDepartment of Social Work and Social Policy, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Southwestern University of Finance and Economics · CNEast China University of Science and Technology · CNLanzhou University · CNNanjing University · CNNorthwest University · CNXihua University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionStudies on various types of digital-technology-based psychotherapies (DTPs) have indicated that they are effective for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom relief among adults. The intervention efficacy or effectiveness hierarchy, however, is still not clear. Therefore, we propose to conduct a network meta-analysis to assess the relative effectiveness of various types of DTPs. We aim to establish the differential effectiveness of these therapies in terms of symptom reduction and provide high-quality evidence for treating PTSD. METHODS AND ANALYSES: We will search Embase, CINAHL, MEDLINE, HealthSTAR, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PubMed, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, clinical trials (eg, ClinicalTrials.gov) and other academic platforms for relevant studies, mainly in English and Chinese (as we plan to conduct a trial on PTSD patients in Wuhan, China, based on the results of this network meta-analysis), from inception to October 2020. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses investigating the effectiveness of any DTPs for PTSD patients for any controlled condition will be included. The number of intervention sessions and the research duration are unlimited; the effects for different durations will be tested via sensitivity analysis. For this project, the primary measure of outcome will be PTSD symptoms at the end of treatment using raw scores for one widely used PTSD scale, PCL-5. Secondary outcome measures will include (1) dropout rate; (2) effectiveness at longest follow-up, but not more than 12 months and (3) patients' functional recovery ratio (such as the return-to-work ratio or percentage of sick leave). Bayesian network meta-analysis will be conducted for all relative outcome measures. We will perform subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis to see whether the results are influenced by study characteristics. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessments, Development, and Evaluation framework will be adopted to evaluate the quality of evidence contributing to network estimates of the primary outcome. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The researchers of the primary trials already have had ethical approval for the data used in our study. We will present the results of this meta-analysis at academic conferences and publish them in peer-reviewed journals. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020173253.

Indexed as

Stress Disorders, Post-TraumaticAdultChinaHumansNetwork Meta-Analysis as TopicPsychotherapyTechnologydepression & mood disordersmental healththerapeutics

Identifiers

PMID33303442
PMCPMC7733188
OpenAlexW3111938423

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.