A qualitative examination of low-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy to reduce anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Objective

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on mental health. There is an urgent need to deliver low-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) tailored to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. The aim was to engage in a qualitative study of participants’ views surrounding anxiety and depression during the pandemic and feedback on the acceptability and usefulness of a low-intensity CBT intervention during the pandemic to inform intervention development and refinement.

Method

There were 21 participants (21–80 years, M = 40.90 years, SD = 16.33; 71% female) from Australia who participated in qualitative interviews who had completed low-intensity CBT for anxiety and depression during the pandemic.     

Results

Themes emerged including the negative impact of the pandemic on mental health, prior experience of psychological therapy, acceptability, and usefulness of the intervention, participants’ ideas for intervention improvement, and preferences for using the guide. The majority of participants reported the intervention was useful, however, suggested several areas including content and format to improve the intervention and feedback on what they would prefer for an intervention.

Conclusions

A low-intensity CBT intervention was reported as useful and acceptable by participants for their concerns related to the pandemic and exacerbation of pre-existing anxiety and depression.

KEY POINTS

What is already known about this topic:

1. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased anxiety and depression worldwide.

2. There is a need to deliver low intensity cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic.

3. Previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of low intensity CBT in reducing pandemic related anxiety and depression.

What this topic adds:

1. Participants provided positive feedback in qualitative interviews on a low intensity CBT intervention in reducing anxiety and depression related to the pandemic.

2. Participants had several suggestions to improve the intervention, including increasing content for culturally and linguistic diverse populations and alternative formats.

3. Low intensity CBT may hold promise in reducing the burden of anxiety and depression related to the pandemic.

KEYWORDS:

• Qualitative
• low intensity
• cognitive behaviour therapy
• internet
• COVID-19

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request and subject to Institutional approvals.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1080/13284207.2022.2031946.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by a grant from the Government of Western Australia awarded to principal investigator Sarah Egan at Curtin University and (partly) funded by the NIHR GOSH BRC. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, or the Department of Health. The Western Australian government had no role in the study design or interpretation of the findings, writing the manuscript, or decision to submit the paper for publication.