Electronic Media and Its Application in Psychotherapy

NCT03712267 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2018P002179
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 110
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This randomized control trial aims to establish whether viewing and discussing patients' electronic communication (texts, emails, Facebook direct messaging, etc) impacts clinical care and decision making across the lifespan.

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Depression; Electronic Media

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Improvement in Mental Health Related Quality of Life/Functioning

  Investigators will use the Short Form Health - 36 Item Survey (SF-36) to assess whether use of electronic media will lead to participants reporting improved functioning/quality of life. The SF-36 is a patient-administered scale and focuses on 8 domains including social functioning, perceptions of health, emotional well-being, role limitations due to physical or emotional concerns, and physical functioning.

  After final visit

• Therapeutic Alliance

  Investigators will use the Working Alliance Inventory - Short Revised (WAI-SR) scale to assess whether use of electronic media will lead to participants reporting an enhanced working alliance. The working alliance inventory is a 12 item measure of the client's/patient's perception of how comfortable they believe their alliance with their therapist is. Each item is rated on a scale of 1-5, and measures how frequently participants believe criteria has been achieved. A score of 1 typically represents that the specific item has been achieved least frequently and a sore of 5 indicates that the specific item is achieved at every session. The items are then summed up to compute a total score.

  After final visit

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Clinical Outcome - Improvement in scores of depression

  Every 4 visits, up to 13 visits

• Clinical Outcome - Improvement in scores of anxiety

  Every 4 visits, up to 13 visits

Study Arms (2)

Electronic Media Enhanced

EXPERIMENTAL

Research assistants will collect information on participants' electronic messaging behavior and content and provide that for use to participants' clinicians.

Behavioral: Electronic Media Enhanced

Treatment As Usual

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Participants will not have their electronic messaging reviewed prior to their typically scheduled clinical appointments.

Behavioral: Treatment as Usual

Interventions

Electronic Media Enhanced BEHAVIORAL

Research assistants will provide participants' therapists with information from participants' electronic messaging prior to typically scheduled clinical appointments.

Electronic Media Enhanced

Treatment as Usual BEHAVIORAL

Research assistants will not review or provide participants' therapists with information from participants' electronic media and will compare with the Electronic Media Enhanced cohort to see if there was a difference in therapy outcomes.

Treatment As Usual

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 14 Years - 85 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Are currently receiving psychotherapy at McLean and have had at least 4 visits with their current therapy provider in outpatient clinics or 2 sessions with their therapy provider in partial hospitalization or residential settings
• Age 18-85, and fluent in English
• Have a primary diagnosis of anxiety or depression (as determined by self-report and review of medical records, which should list a primary depression or anxiety spectrum diagnosis). Symptomatology can be active or in remission.
• Are actively using at least 1 platform for text messaging (i.e. they should have an account on each platform and have produced content within the month prior to beginning the study). This will be based on self report.
• Use a mobile device for text messaging
• Able to provide informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Probable or diagnosed dementia or cognitive impairment, or neurodevelopmental disorder (such as an autism spectrum disorder) based on self report and review of medical records.
• \- Individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD) may be eligible provided symptoms have been stable for at least 6 months.
• Active psychotic symptoms
• \- History of psychosis is allowable only if the patient has not had symptoms for at least a year
• Are actively receiving ECT treatment
• Current alcohol or drug abuse problem (based on self report and review of medical records)
• \- History of substance use is fine, provided there has been no relapse or withdrawal symptoms in the month leading up to enrollment
• Are involuntarily admitted to McLean Hospital

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Mclean Hospital: lead
• Once Upon a Time Foundation: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

McLean Hospital

Belmont, Massachusetts, 02478, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Depression

Interventions

Therapeutics

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Ipsit Vahia, MD

  Mclean Hospital

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Kerry Ressler, MD; PhD

  Mclean Hospital

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: Study participants will be randomized to either the intervention group or the control group through an online computer randomizing generator. This is not a blinded randomized control trial.
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Medical Director, Geriatric Psychiatry Outpatient Programs

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 12, 2018
• First Posted: October 19, 2018
• Study Start: December 13, 2018
• Primary Completion: August 31, 2023
• Study Completion: August 31, 2023
• Last Updated: November 5, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Locations

US (1)