Remote cognitive behavioral therapy for panic disorder: A meta-analysis

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an established treatment for panic disorder (PD). Remote CBT (RCBT) is becoming increasingly popular and has the potential to enhance access to this treatment. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of RCBT for PD using a meta-analytic approach. An electronic database search was used to identify relevant articles and the references of previously completed reviews. Twenty-one studies (n = 1,604; mean age range: 31.9-43.9; mean female representation = 71 %) were included in the meta-analysis. 14/21 (67 %; n = 817 of the included studies were randomised controlled trials and 7/21 (33 %; n = 787) were open trials or non-randomised controlled trials. Pooled within-group effect sizes across all remote treatments for PD symptoms were large from pre-treatment to post-treatment (Hedges' g = 1.18; 95 % CI: 0.99-1.36) and pre-treatment to follow-up (Hedges' g = 1.51; 95 % CI: 1.22-1.79). Pooled between-group findings indicate that remote CBT treatments are more effective than passive control (Hedges' g = 1.17; 95 % CI: 0.85-1.50), but are similar to other active treatments on measures of PD symptoms (e.g., face-to-face CBT) (Hedges' g = 0.02; 95 % CI: -0.43 to 0.48). Internet-delivered CBT (Hedges' g = 1.10, 95 % CI: 0.91-1.30), videoconferencing-delivered CBT (Hedges' g = 1.40, 95 % CI: 0.85-1.95) and bibliotherapy-delivered CBT (Hedges' g = 1.51, 95 % CI: 0.95-2.06) each produce large effect sizes on measures of PD symptoms. The results have important implications for the dissemination of entirely remote stepped-care treatments for PD.