NCT06158763

Development and Evaluation of a CBT-based Transdiagnostic Transcultural Web App for Mental Health Problems

Development and Evaluation of a CBT-based Transdiagnostic Transcultural Web App for Mental Health Problems in Low and Middle-income Countries.

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (actual)
• Sponsor: Pakistan Association of Cognitive Therapists · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study aims to (1) develop a CBT-based transcultural, transdiagnostic interactive web app and (2) assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of this intervention.

Detailed description

Three-quarters of the global burden of mental disorders, including depression and anxiety, lies in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) (WHO, 2017). However, the treatment gap for common mental disorders in LMICs is significant, with an estimated 90% of people in these settings unable to access appropriate mental health care (Vos et al., 2015). Despite the strong evidence supporting effectiveness in several disorders, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) remains underutilized internationally due to the limited availability of comprehensive training programmes and qualified CBT-trained staff. (Myhr \& Payne, 2006). However, self-help and GSH can be delivered online and have been found to be effective and feasible for individuals with depression and anxiety (Andrews et al., 2018). Furthermore, leveraging the unprecedented increase in cell phone users and internet technologies, as well as the decline in prices of handheld mobile devices, may overcome barriers to care and address the substantial mental health treatment gap in these settings (Lambert \& Littlefield, 2009; Lewis et al., 2012; UN Foundation-Vodafone Foundation Partnership, 2020; WHO, 2011). We, therefore, propose the development and evaluation of a CBT-based transcultural, transdiagnostic interactive web app to address symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress.

Conditions

• Depression
• Anxiety

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Web-based CBT guided self-help Interventions	An existing CBT-based transdiagnostic self-help manual (Naeem et al., 2014) that has been used successfully in RCTs (Amin et al., 2020; Naeem et al., 2014) and has been used as an online intervention (http://khushiorkhatoon.com/) will be further adapted. The intervention consists of seven modules, including cognitive restructuring, problem-solving and behavioural activation.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-11-01
• Primary completion: 2024-01-31
• Completion: 2024-10-01
• First posted: 2023-12-06
• Last updated: 2025-11-19

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Pakistan