The purpose of this study is to investigate if a brief online-delivered cognitive-behavioral intervention can reduce the degree of dysfunctional worry related to the Covid-19 pandemic, compared to a wait-list control condition.
Worries about the immediate and long-term consequences of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic are
largely justified in the current climate of uncertainty. However, dysfunctional worry, that
is, pervasive worry that is disproportionate in its intensity or duration, and that
significantly interferes with every-day problem-solving or goal-driven behavior, is clearly
counterproductive. Research has also indicated that repeated media exposure to a community
crisis can lead to increased anxiety and heightened stress responses, that can give a
downstream effect on health, and misplaced health-protective and help-seeking behaviors
which, in turn, may overburden health care facilities. There is an urgent need to develop a
brief, scalable intervention to target such dysfunctional worry in the general population.
The current randomized controlled trial will evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a brief
online-delivered cognitive behavioral intervention designed to target dysfunctional worry
related to the Covid-19 pandemic. 670 individuals are randomized to intervention or to
waiting-list. The hypothesis is that the brief self-guided intervention will show significant
within-group reductions in self-rated worry from baseline (week 0) to post-treatment (week
3), and that these improvements will be larger than those seen in the wait-list control
group. The wait-list group will be crossed over to receive the intervention after three weeks
(post-treatment). All participants will be followed-up one month and one year after the end
of the intervention.
Behavioral: Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy (ICBT) for dysfunctional worry related to the Covid-19 pandemic
The intervention focuses on 1) teaching participants how to discriminate between functional and dysfunctional worry (what are solvable problems vs. what is worry, i.e. unsolvable thoughts?) 2) providing participants with skills to solve functional worry topics (e.g. set time and make a workable plan to be prepared for possible negative outcomes [e.g. becoming unemployed]), 3) helping participants to reduce unhelpful behaviors that may reinforce worry (e.g., limit excessive news consumption, refrain from assurance seeking behaviors), 4) providing participants with skills to approach dysfunctional worry (e.g., not engage in worrisome thoughts, just leave them), and 5) increase the behavioral repertoire (take walks, engage in activities that promote health without putting oneself at risk to become infected).
INCLUSION CRITERIA
- The following 2 criteria must be met:
- Worrying about Covid-19 and its possible consequences (e.g. risk of getting ill,
fear of death, economy, family, etc.) every day, often several times a day
- The worry about Covid-19 is perceived as difficult to control
- In addition, at least one of the following negative consequences of worrying:
- The worry about Covid-19 takes so much time and energy that it is difficult to
concentrate on anything else (work, family, hobbies, etc.)
- Trouble sleeping due to Covid-19 worries
- Constantly checking the news and social media to follow developments about
Covid-19
- Marked loss of work productivity due to worries about Covid-19
- Difficulties finding joy in everyday situations because of worry about Covid-19
- ≥ 18 years of age
- Resident in Sweden
- Daily access to a computer or other device with internet connection
EXCLUSION CRITERIA
- Non Swedish speaking
- Severe depression, defined as >28 points on the MADRS-S
- Suicidal risk defined as 5 points or above on item 9 on the MADRS-S
- Family member in the same household who is included in the study
Karolinska Institutet
Stockholm, Sweden
Erik M Andersson, PhD, Principal Investigator
Karolinska Institutet