Effect of referral source on outcome with cognitive-behavior therapy self-help

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Digital Health

Background:

• The relationship between patient referral source and treatment outcomes in psychiatric care is not well understood.
• Computer-aided cognitive-behavior therapy (CCBT) is increasingly used for anxiety and depressive disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how the source of referral influences clinical outcomes in patients receiving CCBT for anxiety and depressive disorders.
• To compare sociodemographic and clinical features, as well as treatment outcomes, across different referral groups.

Main Methods:

• A study of 355 patients referred to a CCBT clinic with clinician backup.
• Referral sources were categorized into general practitioner (GP), mental health (MH) professional, and self-referrals (SR).
• Patients were compared on baseline characteristics and treatment outcomes.

Main Results:

• GP referrals had less comorbidity at intake compared to other groups.
• Self-referrals showed the least impaired work/social adjustment, while MH referrals had the most.
• GP referrals demonstrated the greatest improvement, whereas MH referrals showed the least improvement with CCBT.

Conclusions:

• General practitioner referrals achieve superior outcomes with CCBT for anxiety and depressive disorders.
• Referral source is a critical factor influencing patient characteristics and predicting treatment success in psychotherapy research.