Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40467737›Full record

Trial reportScientific reports2025

Effects of change in dysfunctional beliefs in avatar-based cognitive therapy for depressive symptoms: a randomized parallel trial.

Nicolina Laura Peperkorn, Julia Ohse, Janosch Fox, Merle Kuhlencord, Christin Janine Grevenhaus, Joshua Krutzki, Michael Witthöft, Youssef Shiban

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

Trial report in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Trial
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.

Nicolina Laura PeperkornClinical Psychology Department, PFH Private University of Applied Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9481-9354
Julia OhseClinical Psychology Department, PFH Private University of Applied Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3344-4753
Janosch FoxClinical Psychology Department, PFH Private University of Applied Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2450-5003
Merle KuhlencordClinical Psychology Department, PFH Private University of Applied Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.
Christin Janine GrevenhausClinical Psychology Department, PFH Private University of Applied Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3747-2603
Joshua KrutzkiClinical Psychology Department, PFH Private University of Applied Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1242-9070
Michael WitthöftDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Experimental Psychopathology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany. witthoeft@uni-mainz.de.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4928-4222
Youssef ShibanClinical Psychology Department, PFH Private University of Applied Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6281-0901

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of an avatar-based intervention on depressive symptoms and self-esteem. Participants (N = 151) with subclinical depressive symptoms were instructed to challenge an avatar over three sessions. While participants within the intervention group challenged their personal dysfunctional beliefs, participants in the control group challenged nonsense statements. Allocation to treatment groups was randomized. Data collection took place pre-intervention and post-intervention. Statistical analysis revealed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms, which was more pronounced for the intervention group (p < .01), as well as a significant group × time interaction for self-esteem (p < .05). The effect on depression symptom strength was large in the experimental group (d = - 1.19) and medium (d = - 0.72) in the control group, while the effect on self-esteem was moderate (d = 0.54) in the intervention and small (d = 0.29) in the control group. Our findings on symptom reduction align with prior research, while positive effects on self-esteem are a novelty. These results demonstrate the intervention's potential for reducing the symptoms of mental illness.

Indexed as

Cognitive Behavioral TherapyDepressionAdultAvatarFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSelf ConceptTreatment OutcomeYoung AdultAvatarConfrontationDepressive symptomsDigital interventionDysfunctional beliefs

Identifiers

PMID40467737
PMCPMC12137557

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.