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Therapist Effects in Guided Internet-Delivered CBT for Anxiety Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2010

Jonas Almlöv ,
Per Carlbring ,
Karin Källqvist ,
Björn Paxling ,
Pim Cuijpers  and
Gerhard Andersson
Jonas Almlöv
Affiliation:
Linköping University, Sweden
Per Carlbring
Affiliation:
Umeå University, Sweden
Karin Källqvist
Affiliation:
Linköping University, Sweden
Björn Paxling
Affiliation:
Linköping University, Sweden and Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Pim Cuijpers
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Gerhard Andersson*
Affiliation:
Linköping University, Sweden and Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
*
Reprint requests to Gerhard Andersson, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background: Guided internet-delivered CBT for anxiety disorders has received increasing empirical support, but little is known regarding the role of the therapist. Aims: This study addressed therapist factors in guided internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders. Method: Data from three controlled trials with a total N of 119 were analyzed with attention to differences between eight therapists. Results: No significant mean level differences between therapists appeared in the dataset. However, one significant intraclass correlation between participants was found, suggesting that the outcome on the Beck Anxiety Inventory might have been influenced by the impact of the individual therapists. Conclusion: The therapist can possibly have some influence on the outcome of guided internet-delivered CBT for anxiety disorders, but studies with more statistical power are needed to establish whether therapist effects are present in this modality of psychological treatment. The present study was underpowered to detect minor therapist effects.

Keywords

Therapisttreatment outcomeinternetintraclass correlationsnested design
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 39 , Issue 3 , May 2011 , pp. 311 - 322
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2010

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