TY - JOUR
T1 - Population-based RCT of a digital cognitive-behavioural guided self-help intervention for anxiety, depression and eating disorders in college students
AU - Newman, Michelle G.
AU - Fitzsimmons-Craft, Ellen E.
AU - Baik, Seung Yeon
AU - Zainal, Nur Hani
AU - Calderon, Adam
AU - Rackoff, Gavin N.
AU - Firebaugh, Marie Laure
AU - Rojas-Ashe, Elsa
AU - Leykin, Yan
AU - Lew, Daphne
AU - Eisenberg, Daniel
AU - Taylor, C. Barr
AU - Wilfley, Denise E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2026.
PY - 2026
Y1 - 2026
N2 - Scalable approaches such as digital cognitive-behavioural therapy guided self-help (D-CBTgsh) may help close the treatment gap for college students with mental disorders. In a randomized clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04162847) across 26 US colleges, populations were offered a mental health screen (39,194 assessed). Students with clinical levels or high risk for anxiety, depression and/or eating disorders (N = 6,205) were randomized to screening+D-CBTgsh or screening+referral-to-college-provided-care groups. Screening+D-CBTgsh reduced prevalence of any mental disorder (primary outcome) at 6 weeks (odds ratio (OR) = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.70–0.91), 6 months (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.68–0.88) and 2 years (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.72–0.93). Services uptake was greater in screening+D-CBTgsh (74.4%) versus screening+referral (30.2%) at 6 months (OR = 6.72, 95% CI = 6.01–7.52) and 2 years (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.64–2.04), including for minoritized groups. Screening+D-CBTgsh (versus screening+referral to college-provided care) also improved dimensional outcomes of generalized anxiety, social anxiety, depression, eating disorder symptoms and mental health functioning. Findings supported transdiagnostic prevention and intervention benefits of screening+D-CBTgsh and its viability as a scalable, population-based approach.
AB - Scalable approaches such as digital cognitive-behavioural therapy guided self-help (D-CBTgsh) may help close the treatment gap for college students with mental disorders. In a randomized clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04162847) across 26 US colleges, populations were offered a mental health screen (39,194 assessed). Students with clinical levels or high risk for anxiety, depression and/or eating disorders (N = 6,205) were randomized to screening+D-CBTgsh or screening+referral-to-college-provided-care groups. Screening+D-CBTgsh reduced prevalence of any mental disorder (primary outcome) at 6 weeks (odds ratio (OR) = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.70–0.91), 6 months (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.68–0.88) and 2 years (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.72–0.93). Services uptake was greater in screening+D-CBTgsh (74.4%) versus screening+referral (30.2%) at 6 months (OR = 6.72, 95% CI = 6.01–7.52) and 2 years (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.64–2.04), including for minoritized groups. Screening+D-CBTgsh (versus screening+referral to college-provided care) also improved dimensional outcomes of generalized anxiety, social anxiety, depression, eating disorder symptoms and mental health functioning. Findings supported transdiagnostic prevention and intervention benefits of screening+D-CBTgsh and its viability as a scalable, population-based approach.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105038417769
U2 - 10.1038/s41562-026-02454-z
DO - 10.1038/s41562-026-02454-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 42098266
AN - SCOPUS:105038417769
SN - 2397-3374
JO - Nature Human Behaviour
JF - Nature Human Behaviour
ER -