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Finding Web-Based Anxiety Interventions on the World Wide Web: A Scoping Review
Miriam Thiel Ashford1, Ellinor K Olander, Susan Ayers
1Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research, School of Health Sciences, City University London, London, United Kingdom. miriam.ashford@city.ac.uk.
JMIR Mental Health
|June 3, 2016
Summary
Consumers seeking online anxiety treatment face many choices. A review found numerous web-based programs, but few have strong evidence of effectiveness, making selection difficult.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Psychiatry
- Online Interventions
Background:
- Web-based intervention programs offer accessible, affordable, and anonymous treatment options.
- While evidence supports their effectiveness for anxiety, public availability and characteristics are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and review publicly available web-based anxiety intervention programs.
- To assess website and program characteristics, therapeutic elements, and evidence of efficacy.
Main Methods:
- Searched major search engines for web-based anxiety programs.
- Screened 25 hyperlinks per search for eligibility criteria.
- Extracted data on website, program, and therapeutic characteristics, and empirical evidence.
Main Results:
- 34 programs were identified, primarily using cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.
- Most websites were credible, but many required fees and few had published efficacy evidence.
- Programs varied in length, modules, and support, with about half offering paid professional assistance.
Conclusions:
- The abundance of diverse web-based anxiety programs complicates consumer choice.
- Limited efficacy data hinders identification of credible and reliable online interventions.
- There is a need for consistent standards and reliable information on web-based intervention quality and accessibility.
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