Citation

Belleville G, Ouellet MC, Békés V, Lebel J, Morin CM, Bouchard S, Guay S, Bergeron N, Ghosh S, Campbell T, MacMaster FP. Behav. Ther. 2023; 54(2): 230-246.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.beth.2022.08.004

PMID

36858756

Abstract

This study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of an online CBT intervention with limited therapist contact targeting a range of posttraumatic symptoms among evacuees from the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires. One hundred and thirty-six residents of Fort McMurray who reported either moderate PTSD symptoms (PCL-5 ≥ 23) or mild PTSD symptoms (PCL-5 ≥ 10) with moderate depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) or subthreshold insomnia symptoms (ISI ≥ 8) were randomized either to a treatment (n = 69) or a waitlist condition (n = 67). Participants were on average 45 years old, and mostly identified as White (82%) and as women (76%). Primary outcomes were PTSD, depression, and insomnia symptoms. Secondary outcomes were anxiety symptoms and disability. Significant Assessment Time × Treatment Condition interactions were observed on all outcomes, indicating that access to the treatment led to a decrease in posttraumatic stress (F[1,117.04] = 12.128, p = .001; d = .519, 95% CI = .142-.895), depression (F[1,118.29] = 9.978, p = .002; d = .519, 95% CI = .141-.898) insomnia (F[1,117.60] = 4.574, p = .035; d = .512, 95% CI = .132-.892), and anxiety (F[1,119.64] = 5.465, p = .021; d = .421, 95% CI = .044-.797) symptom severity and disability (F[1,111.55] = 7.015, p = .009; d = .582, 95% CI = .200-.963). Larger effect sizes (d = 0.823-1.075) were observed in participants who completed at least half of the treatment. The RESILIENT online treatment platform was successful to provide access to specialized evidence-based mental health care after a disaster.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Female; Middle Aged; PTSD; Depression; depression; natural disaster; insomnia; *Disasters; *Internet-Based Intervention; *Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; *Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; e-mental health