Clinical Trial: Internet-delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Patients With Health Anxiety

Study Status: Active, not recruiting
Recruit Status: Active, not recruiting
Study Type: Interventional



Official Title: Internet-delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Patients With Health Anxiety: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Brief Summary:

Health anxiety is a prevalent, disabling disorder associated with extensive health care expenditures. The lack of easily accessible, evidence-based psychological treatment combined with delayed diagnostic recognition constitute barriers to receiving treatment.

Aim

  1. To develop an internet-delivered treatment program, based on 'Acceptance and Commitment Therapy' (ACT), for patients with health anxiety.
  2. To test the feasibility and effectiveness of the treatment programme in a randomized, controlled trial, comparing the treatment with an active control condition.

Methods 150 patients aged 18 years and older can self-refer through a web-page to apply for participation. Before inclusion patients will undergo a video-diagnostic interview. Patients are randomly assigned to 12 weeks of either, 1) active treatment: consisting of internet-based ACT (iACT) with 7 therapist-guided modules of self-help text, exercises, patient videos and audio-files, or 2) active control condition: consisting of an internet-based discussion forum (iFORUM) with 7 topics of discussion.

All patients will complete self-report questionnaires at baseline, before randomization, at 4 and 8 weeks into treatment, after end of treatment, and at 6-month follow-up.