| Abstract [eng] |
The possibilities of using information technologies to meet the growing need for psychological services have been investigated intensively. Studies show that internet-based psychological interventions can be effective for various mental disorders and psychological problems. One of the most commonly diagnosed disorders in the world is adjustment disorder which can occur after a significant stressful life event. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the effectiveness of an internet-based modular self-help intervention for adjustment disorder, as well as to compare how adding therapist support on demand affects the program's effectiveness. Two randomized controlled trials were carried out. The first study included 284 participants, while the second study included 1077 participants. Comparison of the intervention group to the control group showed the effectiveness of the intervention. Symptoms of adjustment disorder reduced and psychological well-being increased significantly after using the intervention for one month and the effect sizes were large. The results of the second trial revealed that additional therapist support on demand did not contribute to the effects of the intervention, but was related to better adherence from the participants as they returned for assessments more often compared to the self-help alone group. Also, the data showed that the brief assessment measure ADNM-8 for adjustment disorder had good psychometric properties in a help seeking sample of Lithuanian speaking adults and was suitable for screening purposes. |
