Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40552256›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in digital health2025

Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for psychological symptoms during the final phase of the COVID-19 pandemic: a feasibility study.

Victoria Aminoff, My Björklund, Elina Ekström, Andrea Stenback, Uzma Yousafzai, Matilda Berg, Mikael Ludvigsson, Gerhard Andersson

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Article in Frontiers in digital health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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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.

Victoria AminoffDepartment of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
My BjörklundDepartment of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Elina EkströmDepartment of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Andrea StenbackDepartment of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Uzma YousafzaiDepartment of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Matilda BergDepartment of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Mikael LudvigssonDepartment of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Gerhard AnderssonDepartment of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 and the accompanying COVID-19 pandemic had a great impact on people's well-being, both physically and mentally. The pandemic continued to affect people even after its end was declared. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) is a psychological treatment alternative that is effective for several types of psychological symptoms and conditions. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of ICBT for psychological symptoms related to the COVID-19 pandemic in adults aged 18 years and older during the final phase of the pandemic. Since the psychological impact of the pandemic varies among individuals, individually tailored ICBT was examined, in which participants receive different treatment content based on their needs. Methods: A within-group study was conducted with 24 participants, receiving individually tailored ICBT during eight weeks with weekly support from a therapist. Participants received one module per week, which was selected based on the participant's specific symptoms and needs. Of the 24 participants, 16 (66.7%) were assessed as probably meeting the diagnostic criteria for post-COVID syndrome. Pre- and post-treatment measurements using self-report questionnaires for several psychological symptoms were administered online. Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed in symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, loneliness, and exhaustion. Small increases were observed in a measure of CBT knowledge, whereas no significant changes were found in stress, quality of life, experience of cognitive failures, and economic stress. Participants completed on average 3.96 out of 8 modules, with five (20.8%) completing all modules. Fifteen (62.5%) of the 24 participants completed the post-treatment measurement. Three participants (12.5%) withdrew from the study. Conclusion: Overall, the results indicate that individually tailored ICBT with weekly support from a therapist is a feasible treatment for psychological symptoms related to the COVID-19 pandemic in its final phase. However, larger studies with more participants are needed to draw further conclusions regarding the effects of ICBT during the final phase of a pandemic. The treatment could be further developed to benefit a broader range of participants.

Indexed as

COVID-19feasibility studyinternet-based cognitive behavioral therapypost-COVIDpsychological treatment

Identifiers

PMID40552256
PMCPMC12183213

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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.