BACKGROUND
Generalised Anxiety Disorder(GAD) is estimated to affect 1 in 8 people in the UK seeking help from their GP in primary care; where treatment options may either be unacceptable to patients (e.g. medication) or may be delayed (e.g. psychotherapy delivered through NHS Talking Therapy services). These barriers leave an important treatment gap that may be filled by Digital Mental Health Interventions, offering immediate, evidence-based care.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and user acceptability and safety of the Resony Anxiety app, a digital therapeutic intervention for individuals with self-reported anxiety using a pre-post study design.
METHODS
A total of 86 UK-based participants were recruited and underwent a 6-week intervention using the Resony Anxiety app as a standalone unguided intervention. Primary and secondary outcome measures included the GAD-7 and DASS-21 questionnaires.
RESULTS
The participants reported a significant reduction in anxiety of 3.27 points on the GAD-7 after six weeks, with continued improvement during the follow-up period. The effect size was medium for GAD-7 and small for DASS-21 as measured using Hedge’s g. Qualitative feedback indicated that 95% of participants enjoyed using the app, and 64% found it effective in managing their anxiety. 77% of the participants would recommend the app to a friend or family member with anxiety.
CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that the Resony Anxiety app is effective and safe in reducing anxiety in adults. Future studies with larger samples and more robust experimental designs, such as randomised controlled trials, are needed to confirm these initial promising findings.