Combining Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Attention Bias Modification for Depression in Firefighters
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Enrollment
- 138
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Attention Bias Variability
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The study aimed to examine the impact of a combined internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) and Attention Bias Modification (ABM) intervention to reduce depressive symptoms in firefighters. The study was a randomized controlled trial carried out in Kunming, China, and involved the recruitment of 138 active firefighters as participants. The intervention lasted for an 8-week duration, during which participants participated in ABM exercises on alternating days and concurrently underwent four modules of iCBT courses delivered through a smartphone application.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 50 Years (Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •being an active firefighter and aged between 18 and 50
- •having a score greater than zero on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
- •with no history of severe depression
Exclusion Criteria
- •having suicidal ideation or intent
- •having an active psychotic disorder other than depression
- •prior participation in a cognitive-behavioral intervention
- •concurrent participation in another study.
Arms & Interventions
iCBT and ABM
A combined internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) and Attention Bias Modification (ABM) intervention to reduce depressive symptoms in firefighters.
Intervention: Attention Bias Modification (Behavioral)
iCBT and ABM
A combined internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) and Attention Bias Modification (ABM) intervention to reduce depressive symptoms in firefighters.
Intervention: Internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Behavioral)
Control
No intervention
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Attention Bias Variability
Time Frame: Immediately Post-intervention
To quantify attention-bias variability (ABV), the experimental data were divided into 8 segments, and attention-bias scores were computed for each segment. Subsequently, the standard deviation of attention-bias scores across segments was determined, and this value was divided by all trials ABS to account for ABS variability.
Attention Bias Score
Time Frame: Immediately Post-intervention
To quantify attention bias, response times (RTs) were analyzed in accordance with the established procedure to calculate the attention bias score (ABS). Trials characterized by inaccurate responses or RTs of exceptional brevity (\<150ms) or prolonged duration (\>1200ms) were disregarded. The computation of attention bias entailed determining the discrepancy between the mean RT in response to relatively positive stimuli and the mean RT in response to relatively negative stimuli. A preference for happy faces was indicated by an average RT for happy facial expressions that were shorter than the average RT for neutral or sad facial expressions.
Patient Health Questionnaire-9
Time Frame: Immediately Post-intervention
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was utilized to assess symptoms of depression. The PHQ-9 is a self-report questionnaire comprising 9 items, with a score range of 0-27, measuring depression-related symptoms experienced in the past two weeks
Patient Health Questionnaire-9
Time Frame: Baseline
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was utilized to assess symptoms of depression. The PHQ-9 is a self-report questionnaire comprising 9 items, with a score range of 0-27, measuring depression-related symptoms experienced in the past two weeks
Attention Bias Score
Time Frame: Baseline
To quantify attention bias, response times (RTs) were analyzed in accordance with the established procedure to calculate the attention bias score (ABS). Trials characterized by inaccurate responses or RTs of exceptional brevity (\<150ms) or prolonged duration (\>1200ms) were disregarded. The computation of attention bias entailed determining the discrepancy between the mean RT in response to relatively positive stimuli and the mean RT in response to relatively negative stimuli. A preference for happy faces was indicated by an average RT for happy facial expressions that were shorter than the average RT for neutral or sad facial expressions.
Attention Bias Variability
Time Frame: Baseline
To quantify attention-bias variability (ABV), the experimental data were divided into 8 segments, and attention-bias scores were computed for each segment. Subsequently, the standard deviation of attention-bias scores across segments was determined, and this value was divided by all trials ABS to account for ABS variability.
Secondary Outcomes
No secondary outcomes reported