User Acceptance of Computerized CBT for Depression: A Systematic Review

Course overview

This course is based upon material published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research and is available as an open access article. Computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (cCBT) has been proven to be effective in depression care. Moreover, cCBT packages are becoming increasingly popular. A central aspect concerning the take-up and success of any treatment is its user acceptance. The aim of this study was to update and expand on earlier work on user acceptance of cCBT for depression. This paper systematically reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies regarding the user acceptance of cCBT for depression. The initial search was conducted in January 2016 and involved the following databases: Web of Science, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO. Studies were retained if they described the explicit examination of the user acceptance, experiences, or satisfaction related to a cCBT intervention, if they reported depression as a primary outcome, and if they were published in German or English from July 2007 onward. A total of 1736 studies were identified, of which 29 studies were eligible for review. User acceptance was operationalized and analyzed very heterogeneously. Eight studies reported a very high level of acceptance, 17 indicated a high level of acceptance, and one study showed a moderate level of acceptance. Two qualitative studies considered the positive and negative aspects concerning the user acceptance of cCBT. However, a substantial proportion of reviewed studies revealed several methodical shortcomings. In general, people experience cCBT for depression as predominantly positive, which supports the potential role of these innovative treatments. However, methodological challenges do exist in terms of defining user acceptance, clear operationalization of concepts, and measurement. This course on computerized CBT for depression is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for beginning, intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop or increase their knowledge of CBT conducted via computer. The course material includes a literature review of user acceptance and satisfaction. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical continuing education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article which includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not. A major benefit of reading research-based articles for continuing education is they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: Rost, Theresia; Stein, Janin; Lobner, Margrit; Kersting, Anette; Luck-Sikorski, Claudia; Riedel-Heller, Steffi G Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding computerized CBT for depression. Specifically, a professional will: Describe how studies were evaluated for inclusion in the study Summarize the degree to which users accepted cCBT Distinguish methodological challenges which limited the study Citation: Rost, Theresia, et al. User Acceptance of Computerized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res. 2017 Sep; 19(9): e309