Full publication title:
In this study, we examined changes in adaptive actions during Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (ICBT) for people living with chronic health conditions. Adaptive actions are everyday behaviours that support psychological wellbeing, such as healthy thinking, engaging in meaningful activities, setting goals and making plans, maintaining healthy habits, and staying socially connected.
We examined whether participation in the course was associated with improvements in adaptive actions that were maintained over time, and whether changes in adaptive actions were related to changes in depression, anxiety, pain intensity, and pain interference.
We found that adaptive actions increased during treatment and were maintained at follow-up. Importantly, increases in these behaviours were associated with improvements in depression, anxiety, and pain interference.
The findings suggest that behavioural changes may be an important mechanism of change in ICBT, including for individuals with chronic health conditions, where functional limitations can make these actions more difficult.
Hadjistavropoulos, H. D., Peynenburg, V., Philipp-Muller, A. E., Nomeikaite, A., Titov, N., Dear, B. F., & Staples, L. (2025). Adaptive action and treatment outcomes in transdiagnostic Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy for chronic health conditions. Internet Interventions, 44, 100930. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2026.100930