Blended Psychological Therapy for the Treatment of Psychological Disorders in Adult Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Abstract
Background Blended therapy (BT) combines digital with face-to-face psychological interventions. BT may improve access to treatment, therapy uptake, and adherence. However, research is scarce on the structure of BT models. Objective We synthesized the literature to describe BT models used for the treatment of psychological disorders in adults. We investigated whether BT structure, content, and ratio affected treatment efficacy, uptake, and adherence. We also conducted meta-analyses to examine treatment efficacy in intervention-control dyads and associations between treatment outcomes versus BT model structure. Methods PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, ProQuest, and MEDLINE databases were searched. Eligibility criteria included articles published in English till March 2023 that described digital and face-to-face elements as part of an intervention plan for treating psychological disorders in adult patients. We developed a coding framework to characterize the BT interventions. A meta-analysis was conducted to calculate effect size (ES; Cohen d and 95% CIs) regarding pre- and posttreatment outcomes in depression and anxiety versus BT structure. The review was registered with PROSPERO and followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Results Searches identified 8436 articles, and data were extracted from 29 studies. BT interventions were analyzed and classified according to mode of interaction between digital and face-to-face…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 24 participants or records.
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