Käll, A;
Jägholm, S;
Hesser, H;
Andersson, F;
Mathaldi, A;
Norkvist, BT;
Shafran, R;
(2020)
Internet-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Loneliness: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Behavior Therapy
, 51
(1)
pp. 54-68.
10.1016/j.beth.2019.05.001.
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Abstract
Loneliness has been described as a common source of discomfort based on a subjective discrepancy between the actual and desired social situation. For some people this feeling may become a sustained state that is associated with a wide range of psychiatric and psychosocial problems. While there are few existing treatment protocols, interventions based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have shown positive effects. The current study investigated the efficacy of an 8-week internet-based treatment containing CBT components aimed at reducing feelings of loneliness. Seventy-three participants were recruited from the general public and randomly allocated to treatment or a wait-list control condition. Participants were assessed with standardized self-report measures of loneliness, depression, social anxiety, worry, and quality of life at pretreatment and posttreatment. Robust linear regression analysis of all randomized participants showed significant treatment effects on the primary outcome measure of loneliness (between group Cohen’s d = 0.77), and on secondary outcomes measuring quality of life and social anxiety relative to control at postassessment. The results suggest the potential utility of internet-based CBT in alleviating loneliness but more research on the long-term effects and the mechanisms underlying the effects is needed.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Internet-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Loneliness: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.beth.2019.05.001 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2019.05.001 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy, loneliness, CBT, guided selfhelp, digital intervention |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10078542 |
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