Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37227760›Full record

SynthesisJournal of medical Internet research2023

Internet-Based Behavioral Activation for Depression: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Carolin Sophie Alber, Lena Violetta Krämer, Sophia Marie Rosar, Claudia Mueller-Weinitschke

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of medical Internet research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
5.7field-weighted citation impact, top 3% 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

20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.

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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

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Carolin Sophie AlberDepartment of Rehabilitation Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-2918-0597
Lena Violetta KrämerDepartment of Rehabilitation Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2162-0853
Sophia Marie RosarDepartment of Rehabilitation Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-9391-3623
Claudia Mueller-WeinitschkeDepartment of Rehabilitation Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-2318-161X
University of Freiburg · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBehavioral activation is an effective treatment for reducing depression. As depressive disorders affect many people worldwide, internet-based behavioral activation (iBA) could provide enhanced treatment access.

objectiveThis study aimed to investigate whether iBA is effective in reducing depressive symptoms and to assess the impact on secondary outcomes.

methodsWe systematically searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PSYNDEX, and CENTRAL up to December 2021 for eligible randomized controlled trials. In addition, a reference search was conducted. Title and abstract screening, as well as a full-text screening, was conducted by 2 independent reviewers. Randomized controlled trials that investigated the effectiveness of iBA for depression as a treatment or main component were included. Randomized controlled trials had to report depressive symptoms, with a quantitative outcome measure and assess an adult population with depressive symptoms above cutoff. Two independent reviewers performed the data extraction and risk of bias assessment. Data were pooled in random-effects meta-analyses. The primary outcome was self-reported depressive symptoms posttreatment. This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines.

resultsA total of 12 randomized controlled trials, with 3274 participants (88% female, 43.61 years) were included. iBA was more effective in reducing depressive symptom severity posttreatment than inactive control groups (standardized mean difference -0.49; 95% CI -0.63 to -0.34; P<.001). The overall level of heterogeneity was moderate to substantial (I

conclusionsThis systematic review and meta-analysis implies that iBA is effective in reducing depressive symptoms. It represents a promising treatment option, providing treatment access where no treatment is available yet.

trial registrationInternational Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42021236822; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=236822.

Indexed as

Cognitive Behavioral TherapyAdultBehavior TherapyDepressionFemaleHumansInternetMaleQuality of Lifebehavioral activationdepressioninternet- and mobile-based interventionmeta-analysissystematic review

Identifiers

PMID37227760
PMCPMC10251223
OpenAlexW4378172008

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.