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Internet‐based treatment of depressive symptoms in a Kurdish population: A randomized controlled trial
Author(s) -
Lindegaard Tomas,
Brohede David,
Koshnaw Kocher,
Osman Shevan Sherzad,
Johansson Robert,
Andersson Gerhard
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.22753
Subject(s) - randomized controlled trial , mental health , clinical psychology , psychology , anxiety , population , depression (economics) , beck anxiety inventory , psychiatry , beck depression inventory , refugee , medicine , history , environmental health , archaeology , economics , macroeconomics
Objective Kurdish immigrants in Sweden have a doubled risk of mental health problems, and refugee and immigrant populations underutilize mental health services. The present study investigated the efficacy of culturally adapted guided internet‐based cognitive behavior therapy (ICBT) for depressive symptoms in a Kurdish population. Method We included 50 individuals who were randomized to either an 8‐week treatment or a wait‐list. The Beck Depression Inventory‐II was the primary outcome measure, and measures of anxiety and insomnia were secondary outcomes. Results Depressive symptoms were significantly reduced (intention‐to‐treat analysis) in the treatment group, with a between‐group effect size at posttreatment of Cohen's d = 1.27. Moderate to large between‐group effects were also observed on all secondary outcome measures. Treatment effects were sustained at 11‐month follow‐up. Conclusion The results provide preliminary support for culturally adapted ICBT as a complement to other treatment formats for treating symptoms of depression in a Kurdish population.