Internet-Based Self-Help Intervention for ICD-11 Adjustment Disorder: Preliminary Findings

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Digital Mental Health
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Adjustment disorder is a common mental health diagnosis.
• There is a significant need for specialized, accessible interventions.
• Internet-based psychosocial interventions are understudied for adjustment disorder.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of an internet-based unguided self-help psychosocial intervention (BADI) for adjustment disorder.
• To assess the intervention's impact on adjustment disorder symptoms and psychological well-being.
• To compare outcomes in a randomized controlled trial against a waiting list control group.

Main Methods:

• A two-armed randomized controlled trial involving 284 adult participants.
• Participants were randomized to either the BADI intervention or a waiting list control.
• Adjustment disorder symptoms and psychological well-being were measured pre-intervention and one month post-intervention.

Main Results:

• A medium effect size was observed for the completer sample regarding adjustment disorder symptoms.
• The intervention demonstrated effectiveness for participants using it at least once within 30 days.
• Engagement with the intervention correlated with positive outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Unguided, internet-based self-help interventions show promise for treating adjustment disorder.
• High dropout rates may limit the generalizability of findings to the broader population.
• Further research is needed to optimize engagement and retention in digital interventions.