Guided Online Self-help for Loneliness

Linköping University (LiU)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Loneliness

Treatments: Behavioral: ICBT; Behavioral: IPT

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03807154

SOLUS

Details and patient eligibility

About

The study seeks to investigate the efficacy of two internet-based self-help programmes administered with support from a therapist. The two active conditions consist of an internet cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) programme and a intervention of internet-based interpersonal psychotherapy (IIPT), both of which have been developed for the present study. The active conditions will be compared to a wait-list control group.

Participants will be recruited in Sweden with a nationwide recruitment.

Enrollment: 170 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Frequent and distressing experiences of loneliness
• Can speak, write, and read the primary language of the country in which they reside (Sweden or the United Kingdom).
• Have access to an internet connection and a computer/smart phone/tablet
• Are prepared to participate in the study, regardless of the type of treatment they are randomly assigned to.

Exclusion criteria

• Changes in dosage of psychopharmaceutic medication in the last three months prior to the start of the study or a planned change during the initial treatment period.
• Other ongoing psychotherapeutic treatment
• Suicidal plans
• A previously diagnosed personality syndrome
• Ongoing substance abuse
• Other acute treatment need related to a psychiatric disorder requiring attention from a mental health professional (e.g. eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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170 participants in 3 patient groups

Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT)

Experimental group

Description:

A nine-week long ICBT intervention with therapist support.

Treatment:

Behavioral: ICBT

Internet-based Interpersonal Therapy (IIPT)

Experimental group

Description:

A nine-week long intervention based in interpersonal psychotherapy with therapist support.

Treatment:

Behavioral: IPT

Wait-list

No Intervention group

Description:

Wait-list control group