Smile More, Stress Less: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy App can Calm Anxiety

Maya, a self-guided cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) app, can now reduce anxiety in young adults struggling with mental health problems, suggests a new study led by a team of researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. The reduction in anxiety symptoms was clinically and statistically significant at six weeks and continued at the 12-week follow-up period with improvement levels equivalent to anxiety medication studies.

The findings of the study are published in the journal JAMA Network Open (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Efficacy of a Mobile App-Based Intervention for Young Adults With Anxiety Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial

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The study looked at how young adults ages 18 to 25 would respond to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) from an app, which Weill Cornell Medicine researchers started developing in 2019 in collaboration with members of Weill Cornell Information Technologies & Services.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a gold-standard psychotherapeutic intervention that provides users with effective skills which will help them to transform their thinking, complete challenging behaviors and learn coping skills.

Nearly all of the 59 enrollees (98 percent) participated for the entire six weeks of the main study period and completed, on average, approximately 11 of the 12 intervention sessions.

However, Maya is not a replacement for seeking professional help, while it teaches strategies based on cognitive behavioral therapy. The app offers skill-building tools and real-time feedback that can help reduce stress and remove negative thoughts from one’s mind.

“We hear more about the negative impact of technology use on mental health, particularly in this age group (18 to 25),” said the study’s senior author Dr. Faith M. Gunning, associate professor of psychology in psychiatry and vice chair for research in the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine. “But the ubiquitous use of cell phones for information may provide a way of addressing anxiety for some people who, even if they have access to mental health providers, may not go. If the app helps reduce anxiety symptoms, they may then be able to take the next step of seeing a mental health professional when needed.”

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Stop Feeling Anxious Right Now: ’Maya’ is Here

Maya was developed to relieve anxiety in early adulthood, when people undergo stressful transitions, especially when graduating from college, starting a new job or moving away from home. The study has shown that anxiety disorders among young people ages 18 to 25 are rising more than any other age group.

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Maya: An Interactive CBT App to End Anxiety

Maya is an interactive platform that guides users through interesting videos, interactive exercises and relevant educational content to support them in learning, understanding and implementing new skills. While CBT techniques are found to be more effective at treating anxiety symptoms, the research team notes that a shortage of available clinicians makes it even more difficult to find appointments, particularly since the pandemic. Hence, until a mental health clinician is available, a self-guided mobile app may support young people who are more comfortable with digital tools.

“We believe there is a hidden hope in these apps, but they’re only helpful if people use them,” said co-first author Dr. Jennifer N. Bress, the Peter Edwin Stokes, M.D. Clinical Scholar in Psychobiology, an assistant professor of psychology in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and a psychologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health.

What Makes Maya the Best Anti-Anxiety App?

“We wanted to create an evidence-based app that would help us understand whether we were effectively engaging people and addressing their anxiety.” While there is plenty of evidence from clinical studies that CBT is a highly effective treatment for anxiety, thus testing the app itself through clinical trials is a crucial step to ensure its efficacy.

People usually download an app, try it a few times and then delete it, but this app added features to motivate engagement through interactive exercises, videos and a user-friendly interface that test groups found to be visually attractive.

To see if they could further motivate users, the authors randomly assigned the 59 study participants to three groups with different incentives. They provided an opportunity to win points, the possibility to lose points and a way to earn more points that paired participants with a person in their life who inspired them throughout the process. Participants received virtual ’medals’ for achieving specified levels of points.

Surprisingly, the research team found that using the Maya app reduced anxiety no matter which incentive people received.

“These results show that the app can be used as an easily accessible and impactful tool for those looking for support around anxiety. It is amazing to see our ideas come to life,” noted Dr. Avital Falk, the Charisse Chinery Clinical Scholar in Psychiatry, associate professor of psychology in clinical psychiatry and director of the Division of Digital and Treatment Innovation. Dr. Falk, is also the Director of the Pediatric OCD, Anxiety, and Tic disorders (POCAT) program, in collaboration with The Center for Youth Mental Health at NewYork-Presbyterian, was co-first author and developed the app’s content.

“Based on the number of clinical providers we have, it will be really difficult to meet the mental health needs of society,” said Dr. Gunning, who is also the George Alexopoulos, M.D. Honorary Director of the Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian and a psychologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavior Health. “Our initial results indicate the app may be an effective tool to bridge the gap for people waiting to see a therapist.”

So, hurry up, let’s start using Maya right now to overcome anxiety.

Reference:

1. Efficacy of a Mobile App-Based Intervention for Young Adults With Anxiety Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial - (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2822451)

Source-Medindia