Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36510471›Full record

ArticlePsychological medicine2023

Trajectories of depression and anxiety symptom severity during psychological therapy for common mental health problems.

Megan Skelton, Ewan Carr, Joshua E J Buckman, Molly R Davies, Kimberley A Goldsmith, Colette R Hirsch, Alicia J Peel, Christopher Rayner, Katharine A Rimes, Rob Saunders and 3 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Psychological medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed
3.8field-weighted citation impact, top 6% 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

15 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

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  10. Anticipating depression trajectories by measuring plasticity and change through symptom network dynamics.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2025
    Article
  11. Research Review: A review of the past decade of family and genomic studies on adolescent mental health.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines · 2025
    Review
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  14. Characterizing the post-traumatic growth trajectory in gastric cancer survivors: a population-based longitudinal study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Article
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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

13 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Megan SkeltonInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7619-349X
Ewan CarrInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1146-4922
Joshua E J BuckmanResearch Department of Clinical, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness (CORE), Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2281-0907
Molly R DaviesInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3483-9907
Kimberley A GoldsmithInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0620-7868
Colette R HirschInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3579-2418
Alicia J PeelInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-6144-5412
Christopher RaynerInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2950-343X
Katharine A RimesInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2634-455X
Rob SaundersResearch Department of Clinical, Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness (CORE), Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7077-8729
Janet WingroveTalking Therapies Southwark, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Gerome BreenInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2053-1792
Thalia C EleyInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-6458-0700
King's College London · GBUniversity College London · GBSouth London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

Department of HealthWellcome Trust 201292/Z/16/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is substantial variation in patient symptoms following psychological therapy for depression and anxiety. However, reliance on endpoint outcomes ignores additional interindividual variation during therapy. Knowing a patient's likely symptom trajectories could guide clinical decisions. We aimed to identify latent classes of patients with similar symptom trajectories over the course of psychological therapy and explore associations between baseline variables and trajectory class.

methodsPatients received high-intensity psychological treatment for common mental health problems at National Health Service Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services in South London (

resultsTrajectories of depression and anxiety symptoms were highly similar and best modelled by four classes. Three classes started with moderate-severe symptoms and showed (1) no change, (2) gradual improvement, and (3) fast improvement. A final class (4) showed initially mild symptoms and minimal improvement. Within the moderate-severe baseline symptom classes, patients in the two showing improvement as opposed to no change tended not to be prescribed psychotropic medication or report a disability and were in employment. Patients showing fast improvement additionally reported lower baseline functional impairment on average.

conclusionsMultiple trajectory classes of depression and anxiety symptoms were associated with baseline characteristics. Identifying the most likely trajectory for a patient at the start of treatment could inform decisions about the suitability and continuation of therapy, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Indexed as

DepressionMental HealthAnxietyAnxiety DisordersHumansState Medicinecognitive-behavioural therapycounsellingdose-responseinternalisingperson-centredpsychotherapystructural equation modellingsymptom changetreatment response

Identifiers

PMID36510471
PMCPMC10520600
OpenAlexW4311281213

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.