iCBT and ABM for Reducing Depressive Symptoms in Firefighters

NCT ID: NCT05741684

Last Updated: 2023-02-23

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 138 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-04-01
• Study Completion Date: 2022-12-01

Brief Summary

The study aimed to examine the impact of a combined internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) and Attention Bias Modification (ABM) intervention to reduce depressive symptoms in firefighters. The study was a randomized controlled trial carried out in Kunming, China, and involved the recruitment of 138 active firefighters as participants. The intervention lasted for an 8-week duration, during which participants participated in ABM exercises on alternating days and concurrently underwent four modules of iCBT courses delivered through a smartphone application.

Conditions

Depression

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

iCBT and ABM

A combined internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) and Attention Bias Modification (ABM) intervention to reduce depressive symptoms in firefighters.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

iCBT was administered in an unguided fashion without human therapeutic support. Participants were instructed to progress through the eight core modules over an 8-week period. The modules comprised psychoeducational content centered around CBT, aimed at promoting the development of skills such as self-monitoring of emotions, cognitive distancing, cognitive reframing/restructuring, problem-solving, and mindfulness. In the event of technical difficulties during the intervention, participants were able to seek assistance.

Attention Bias Modification

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The Dot-Probe Paradigm was utilized within the Attention Bias Modification procedure. The training sessions were comprised of 96 trials, which included facial expression photos depicting happiness, neutrality, and sadness, sourced from four male and four female actors. A fixed cross (+) was presented on the computer screen's center for a duration of 500 milliseconds before each stimulus display, followed by the presentation of two images portraying distinct emotional expressions, which persisted for 500 milliseconds. After the disappearance of the images, an arrow appeared in the location where they had been displayed, and participants were instructed to select the arrow that corresponded with the presented arrow. In the ABM procedure, the arrow was consistently presented following the display of a more positive facial expression, such that in the instance of a sad-neutral face pair, the arrow would always appear in the location of the neutral facial expression image.

Control

No intervention

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

iCBT was administered in an unguided fashion without human therapeutic support. Participants were instructed to progress through the eight core modules over an 8-week period. The modules comprised psychoeducational content centered around CBT, aimed at promoting the development of skills such as self-monitoring of emotions, cognitive distancing, cognitive reframing/restructuring, problem-solving, and mindfulness. In the event of technical difficulties during the intervention, participants were able to seek assistance.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Attention Bias Modification

The Dot-Probe Paradigm was utilized within the Attention Bias Modification procedure. The training sessions were comprised of 96 trials, which included facial expression photos depicting happiness, neutrality, and sadness, sourced from four male and four female actors. A fixed cross (+) was presented on the computer screen's center for a duration of 500 milliseconds before each stimulus display, followed by the presentation of two images portraying distinct emotional expressions, which persisted for 500 milliseconds. After the disappearance of the images, an arrow appeared in the location where they had been displayed, and participants were instructed to select the arrow that corresponded with the presented arrow. In the ABM procedure, the arrow was consistently presented following the display of a more positive facial expression, such that in the instance of a sad-neutral face pair, the arrow would always appear in the location of the neutral facial expression image.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• being an active firefighter and aged between 18 and 50
• having a score greater than zero on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)
• with no history of severe depression

Exclusion Criteria

• having suicidal ideation or intent
• having an active psychotic disorder other than depression
• prior participation in a cognitive-behavioral intervention
• concurrent participation in another study.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 50 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Kungming Training Corps of National Fire and Rescue Administration

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Adai Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Kunming Training Corps of the National Fire and Rescue Administration

Kunming, Yunnan, China

Countries

China

Other Identifiers

XF001

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id