Research Summaries
Why was the study done?
Canadian public safety personnel (PSP) experience high rates of mental health disorders. They also experience many barriers to accessing treatment, such as stigma, distance from services, and time constraints.
Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) can help overcome these barriers because it can be accessed privately at any time and location Previous research has shown that ICBT is effective for treating various mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
The current study presents the outcomes, treatment satisfaction and program-usage patterns of the PSP Wellbeing Course for the first 83 clients in Saskatchewan.
What was done in the study?
Clients completed an online screening questionnaire and phone screening interview before beginning the course. They were asked to complete questionnaires again after the course (eight weeks). The pre- and post-course questionnaires included measures of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health disorders.
What did we find out?
- Clients experienced a large improvement on measures of depression and anxiety;
- Clients experienced a moderate improvement on measures of PTSD and other mental disorders;
- 86% of clients who completed the satisfaction measure said the course had increased or greatly increased their confidence in their ability to manage their symptoms;
- 98% of clients said the course was worth their time; and,
- 89% of clients chose once-weekly therapist support.
Where do we go from here?
Early results show that the PSP Wellbeing Course is a promising and effective method for treating depression, anxiety, and PTSD in PSP. PSPNET will continue to apply client feedback to improve the course. The team has already expanded services to Quebec. They will continue to share their findings as more PSP complete the course. For information about the course, visit www.pspnet.ca.
The original wording of the study was changed and condensed for the current research summary.
Original study
Hadjistavropoulos, H., McCall, H., Thiessen, D.L., Huang, Z. Carleton, R.N., Dear, B.F., & Titov, N. (2021). Initial outcomes of transdiagnostic internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy tailored for public safety personnel: A longitudinal observational study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(5). http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/27610
Prepared by E. Kossick; Reviewed and edited by B. Barootes and H. McCall; K. Harris (2024).