Ethnocultural differences in symptom change, engagement, and adherence in ICBT

Why was the study done?

Despite prior research showing ICBT’s effectiveness in treating mental health concerns, relatively little research has focused on its effectiveness and uptake by people of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds (PDEGs). These populations remain underrepresented in ICBT treatment and research. This study sought to examine whether PDEGs differ from White participants in symptom change, engagement, and adherence to ICBT.

What was done in the study?

We collected data from 2604 participants, 323 of whom belonged to the PDEGs. Participants were enrolled into the Wellbeing Course between February 2020 to December 2021 and were evaluated before, during, and after treatment using measures of anxiety and depression. Other measures included the number of log-ins, therapist messages, phone contacts, surveys completed, and lessons completed throughout the 8-week treatment period.

What did we find out?

While both White and PDEG participants showed significant reductions in anxiety and depression with no differences in symptom reduction, we found that PDEGs were less likely to complete all 5 lessons and less likely to complete surveys as the treatment progressed.

Where do we go from here?

The results of this study indicated that ICBT effectively reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety regardless of ethnocultural background. However, differences in treatment adherence and questionnaire completion highlight the need for future research to better understand the barriers to treatment completion experienced by PDEGs. Additional research is also needed to explore potential differences among specific ethnocultural groups, as combining diverse groups into a single category may obscure important differences in treatment experiences, engagement, and outcomes.