Internet-based self-help for psychosis: Findings from a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for psychosis is recommended in many national guidelines, but dissemination into routine health care remains poor. This study tests whether an 8-week, CBT-oriented, Internet-based intervention (IBI) for people with psychosis is feasible, effective, and safe compared to care as usual.

METHOD: A sample of 101 people diagnosed with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (age: M = 40.0, SD = 9.60; sex: 58% female) was randomly assigned to either an IBI for psychosis or a wait-list control condition. The primary outcome was a composite score of the positive factor of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Launay Slade Hallucination Scale, and the paranoia checklist (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02974400).

RESULTS: The composite score of psychotic symptom severity decreased more in the IBI condition than in the wait-list condition, reflected in the significant interaction of Time × Condition, F(1, 87.28) = 4.04, p = .047, dbetween = 0.24, 95% CI [-0.15, 0.63]. In the combined sample of participants who received immediate or delayed access to the intervention, the outcome improved further during the 6-month follow up period with a significant main effect of time, F(1, 69.35) = 9.59, p = .003, d = -0.37, 95% CI [-0.66, -0.07]. Participants were satisfied with the intervention (89%), and many used the intervention as defined per protocol (52%; at least four completed modules). Adverse events were infrequent (4.9%).

CONCLUSIONS: Internet-based, CBT-oriented interventions provide an add-on effect to care as usual and have the potential to narrow the psychological treatment gap in psychosis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).