Research Summaries
Why was the study done?
Public safety personnel (PSP) face high rates of mental health problems including, but not limited to, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) shows promising outcomes for improving PSP mental health, but previous research has not yet evaluated PTSD-specific ICBT among Canadian PSP. There was also a need for research comparing PTSD-specific ICBT with ICBT designed to treat symptoms of multiple mental health concerns (known as transdiagnostic ICBT).
What was done in the study?
This study was designed to evaluate two ICBT programs tailored for PSP and offered via PSPNET—the PSP Wellbeing Course and the PSP PTSD Course—among 150 Canadian PSP who reported clinically significant symptoms of PTSD.
Content in the PSP Wellbeing Course focused on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, while content in the PSP PTSD Course focused specifically on symptoms of PTSD. Both courses are 8 weeks long and included five lessons with weekly questionnaires, homework assignments, downloadable resources, and illustrative course vignettes. Optional therapist guidance by phone or secure email was also available up to twice a week for up 16 weeks. PSP were free to choose either course.
What did we find out?
Course preference:
- Approximately half the sample selected the PSP Wellbeing Course (57%), and approximately half selected the PSP PTSD Course (43%); and,
- PSP were more likely to enroll in the PSP Wellbeing Course if they had greater symptoms of depression.
Course experience:
- PSP in both courses reported similar and favourable treatment satisfaction (e.g., 98% would recommend the course to a friend), treatment engagement (i.e., 69% access at least four of the five lessons), and feedback.
Course effectiveness:
- The PSP Wellbeing Course resulted in greater reductions in panic disorder symptoms than the PSP PTSD Course;
- PSP in both courses reported large reductions in depression, generalized anxiety, and PTSD;
- PSP in both courses reported moderate reductions in anger; and,
- PSP in both courses reported small reductions in social anxiety.
Overall:
- The PSP Wellbeing Course and the PSP PTSD Course showed relatively similar outcomes; and,
- This study builds on growing evidence that transdiagnostic ICBT (e.g., PSP Wellbeing Course) is at least as effective as disorder-specific ICBT (e.g., PSP PTSD Couse) for treating symptoms of various emotional disorders.
Where do we go from here?
- This study builds on prior evidence that ICBT is an effective, acceptable, accessible, and useful treatment for PSP; and,
- Future research should identify if and when disorder-specific ICBT is preferable to transdiagnostic ICBT.
The original wording of the study was changed and condensed for the current research summary.
Original study
McCall, H., Dear, B. F., Landry, C., Beahm, J. D., Gregory, J., Titov, N., Carleton, R. N., & Hadjistavropoulos, H. D. (2023). Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for symptoms of PTSD among public safety personnel: Initial outcomes of an open cohort preference trial of transdiagnostic and disorder-specific therapy. Internet Interventions: the Application of Information Technology in Mental and Behavioural Health, 33, 100656–100656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2023.100656