Guided Internet-Delivered Treatment for Depression: Scoping Review

Abstract

Background Studies on guided internet-delivered treatment have demonstrated promising results for patients with depressive disorder. Objective The aim of this study was to provide an overview of this research area and identify potential gaps in the research. Methods In this scoping review, web-based databases were used to identify research papers published between 2010 and 2022 where guided internet-delivered treatment was administered to participants with depressive disorders, a standardized rating scale of depressive symptoms was used as the primary outcome measure, and the treatment was compared with a control condition. Results A total of 111 studies were included, and an overview of the studies was provided. Several gaps in the research were identified regarding the design of the studies, treatments delivered, participant representation, and treatment completion. Conclusions This review provides a comprehensive overview of the research area, and several research gaps were identified. The use of other designs and active control conditions is recommended. Future studies should provide access to treatment manuals, and more replications should be conducted. Researchers should aim to include underrepresented populations and provide reports of comorbidities. Definitions of adequate dosage, reports of completion rates, and reasons for treatment dropout are recommended for future studies.