Use and Engagement With Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Techniques Used Within an App to Support Worry Management: Content Analysis of Log Data (Preprint)

Abstract

Low-intensity cognitive behavioral therapy (LICBT) has been implemented by the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services across England to manage excessive worry associated with generalized anxiety disorder and support emotional well-being. However, barriers to access limit scalability. A solution has been to incorporate LICBT techniques derived from an evidence-based protocol within the Iona Mind Well-being app for Worry management (IMWW) with support provided through an algorithmically driven conversational agent.

This study aims to examine engagement with a mobile phone app to support worry management with specific attention directed toward interaction with specific LICBT techniques and examine the potential to reduce symptoms of anxiety.

Log data were examined with respect to a sample of “engaged” users who had completed at least 1 lesson related to the Worry Time and Problem Solving in-app modules that represented the “minimum dose.” Paired sample 2-tailed <i>t</i> tests were undertaken to examine the potential for IMWW to reduce worry and anxiety, with multivariate linear regressions examining the extent to which completion of each of the techniques led to reductions in worry and anxiety.

There was good engagement with the range of specific LICBT techniques included within IMWW. The vast majority of engaged users were able to interact with the cognitive behavioral therapy model and successfully record types of worry. When working through Problem Solving, the conversational agent was successfully used to support the user with lower levels of engagement. Several users engaged with Worry Time outside of the app. Forgetting to use the app was the most common reason for lack of engagement, with features of the app such as completion of routine outcome measures and weekly reflections having lower levels of engagement. Despite difficulties in the collection of end point data, there was a significant reduction in severity for both anxiety (t₅₃=5.5; <i>P</i>&lt;.001; 95% CI 2.4-5.2) and low mood (t₅₃=2.3; <i>P</i>=.03; 95% CI 0.2-3.3). A statistically significant linear model was also fitted to the Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7 (<i>F</i>_2,51=6.73; <i>P</i>&lt;.001), while the model predicting changes in the Patient Health Questionnaire–8 did not reach significance (<i>F</i>_2,51=2.33; <i>P</i>=.11). This indicates that the reduction in these measures was affected by in-app engagement with Worry Time and Problem Solving.

Engaged users were able to successfully interact with the LICBT-specific techniques informed by an evidence-based protocol although there were lower completion rates of routine outcome measures and weekly reflections. Successful interaction with the specific techniques potentially contributes to promising data, indicating that IMWW may be effective in the management of excessive worry. A relationship between dose and improvement justifies the use of log data to inform future developments. However, attention needs to be directed toward enhancing interaction with wider features of the app given that larger improvements were associated with greater engagement.