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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Apr;78(4):220-228.
doi: 10.1111/pcn.13618. Epub 2023 Dec 15.

Live two-way video versus face-to-face treatment for depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder: A 24-week randomized controlled trial

Taishiro Kishimoto #  1 , Shotaro Kinoshita #  1   2 , Momoko Kitazawa  3 , Akitoyo Hishimoto  4 , Takeshi Asami  5 , Akira Suda  5   6 , Shogyoku Bun  3   7 , Toshiaki Kikuchi  3 , Mitsuhiro Sado  3 , Akihiro Takamiya  1   3   8 , Masaru Mimura  3 , Yasunori Sato  9 , Ryo Takemura  9 , Kengo Nagashima  9 , Takashi Nakamae  10 , Yoshinari Abe  10 , Tetsufumi Kanazawa  11 , Yasuo Kawabata  11 , Hiroaki Tomita  12   13 , Koichi Abe  12 , Seiji Hongo  14 , Hiroshi Kimura  15   16 , Aiko Sato  16 , Hisashi Kida  3   17 , Kei Sakuma  17 , Michitaka Funayama  18 , Naoya Sugiyama  19 , Kousuke Hino  19 , Toru Amagai  20 , Maki Takamiya  21 , Hideyuki Kodama  21 , Kenichi Goto  22 , Shuichiro Fujiwara  23 , Hisanobu Kaiya  8 , Kiichiro Nagao  24 ; J‐PROTECT collaborators
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Free article
Randomized Controlled Trial

Live two-way video versus face-to-face treatment for depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder: A 24-week randomized controlled trial

Taishiro Kishimoto et al. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2024 Apr.
Free article

Abstract

Aim: Live two-way video, easily accessible from home via smartphones and other devices, is becoming a new way of providing psychiatric treatment. However, lack of evidence for real-world clinical setting effectiveness hampers its approval by medical insurance in some countries. Here, we conducted the first large-scale pragmatic, randomized controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of long-term treatment for multiple psychiatric disorders via two-way video using smartphones and other devices, which are currently the primary means of telecommunication.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial compared two-way video versus face-to-face treatment for depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder in the subacute/maintenance phase during a 24-week period. Adult patients with the above-mentioned disorders were allocated to either a two-way video group (≥50% video sessions) or a face-to-face group (100% in-person sessions) and received standard treatment covered by public medical insurance. The primary outcome was the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey Mental Component Summary (SF-36 MCS) score. Secondary outcomes included all-cause discontinuation, working alliance, adverse events, and the severity rating scales for each disorder.

Results: A total of 199 patients participated in this study. After 24 weeks of treatment, two-way video treatment was found to be noninferior to face-to-face treatment regarding SF-36 MCS score (48.50 vs 46.68, respectively; p < 0.001). There were no significant differences between the groups regarding most secondary end points, including all-cause discontinuation, treatment efficacy, and satisfaction.

Conclusion: Two-way video treatment using smartphones and other devices, was noninferior to face-to-face treatment in real-world clinical settings. Modern telemedicine, easily accessible from home, can be used as a form of health care.

Keywords: anxiety disorder; depression; long‐term treatment; obsessive‐compulsive disorder; two‐way video.

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