Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38688243›Full record

Trial reportPsychotherapy and psychosomatics2024

Efficacy of an Internet- and Mobile-Based Intervention for Subclinical Anxiety and Depression (ICare Prevent) with Two Guidance Formats: Results from a Three-Armed Randomized Controlled Trial.

Anna-Carlotta Zarski, Kiona K Weisel, Thomas Berger, Tobias Krieger, Michael P Schaub, Matthias Berking, Dennis Görlich, Corinna Jacobi, David D Ebert

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Psychotherapy and psychosomatics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Transdiagnostic prevention in youth mental health, Part II: interventions.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
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

9 authors.

Anna-Carlotta ZarskiDivision of eHealth in Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Kiona K WeiselDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
Thomas BergerDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Tobias KriegerDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Michael P SchaubSwiss Research Institute for Public Health and Addiction (ISGF), Associated to the University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Matthias BerkingDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
Dennis GörlichInstitute of Biostatistics and Clinical Research, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Corinna JacobiInstitute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
David D EbertProfessorship Psychology and Digital Mental Health Care, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionLimited research exists on intervention efficacy for comorbid subclinical anxiety and depressive disorders, despite their common co-occurrence. Internet- and mobile-based interventions (IMIs) are promising to reach individuals facing subclinical symptoms.

objectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a transdiagnostic and self-tailored IMI in reducing subclinical anxiety and depressive symptom severity with either individualized (IG-IMI) or automated (AG-IMI) guidance compared to a waitlist control group with care-as-usual access (WLC).

methodsParticipants included 566 adults with subclinical anxiety (GAD-7 ≥ 5) and/or depressive (CES-D ≥16) symptoms, who did not meet criteria for a full-syndrome depressive or anxiety disorder. In a three-arm randomized clinical trial, participants were randomized to a cognitive behavioral 7-session IMI plus booster session with IG-IMI (n = 186) or AG-IMI (n = 189) or WLC (n = 191). Primary outcomes included observer-rated anxiety (HAM-A) and depressive (QIDS) symptom severity 8 weeks after randomization assessed by blinded raters via telephone. Follow-up outcomes at 6 and 12 months are reported.

resultsSymptom severity was significantly lower with small to medium effects in IG-IMI (anxiety: d = 0.45, depression: d = 0.43) and AG-IMI (anxiety: d = 0.31, depression: d = 0.32) compared to WLC. No significant differences emerged between guidance formats in primary outcomes. There was a significant effect in HAM-A after 6 months favoring AG-IMI. On average, participants completed 85.38% of IG-IMI and 77.38% of AG-IMI.

conclusionsA transdiagnostic, self-tailored IMI can reduce subclinical anxiety and depressive symptom severity, but 12-month long-term effects were absent. Automated guidance holds promise for enhancing the scalability of IMIs in broad prevention initiatives.

Indexed as

Cognitive Behavioral TherapyDepressionInternet-Based InterventionAdultAnxietyAnxiety DisordersDepressive DisorderFemaleHumansInternetMaleMiddle AgedMobile ApplicationsTelemedicineTreatment OutcomeInternet interventionSubclinical anxietySubclinical depressionSubthreshold disordersTransdiagnostic prevention

Identifiers

PMID38688243
PMCPMC11151970

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.