Table 2.
Description of the articles in the third round of selection.
| First author, year of publication | Sample | Design study | Treatment or prevention | Disorder | Duration | Sessions per week | Books and booklets used | Test | Results | Impact of intervention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilich (2008) | 84 participants | Control vs. Experimental 1 vs. experimental 2 | T | Depression | 20 weeks | 30 min telephone contacts | The Good Mood Project (2003) | BDI II DASS 21 K 10 |
Bibliotherapy as a potential self-help resource | |
| Buwalda (2009) | 40 participants | Treatment condition vs waiting list condition | T | Hypochondriasis | Not specified | Not specified | Doctor, I hope it's nothing serious? | The Groningen illness attitude scale Spielberg state trait anxiety questionnaire Beck Depression Inventory |
Bibliotherapy is an efficient aid in reducing hypochondriacal complaints | |
| Chien (2016) | 116 caregivers | Only experimental group | T | Family caregivers | 22 months | 20-week modules, 1 h per session | Clinician-supported problem-solving bibliotherapy | Family burden interview schedule Experience of caregiving inventory |
Bibliotherapy produces moderate long-term benefits to caregivers and first episode psychosis patients | |
| Evans (1999) | 34 patients | Experimental vs. treatment as usual | T | Deliberate recurrent self-harm | 6 months | Not specified | Manual assisted cognitive behavior therapy | Social Functioning Questionnaire Parasuicide History Interview |
Feasibility of MACT as a therapeutic procedure for deliberate self-harm | |
| Hodgins (2007) | 169 participants | Experimental vs. experimental | T | Pathological gambling | 6, 24, 52 weeks | Not specified | Series of relapse prevention booklets | Gambling severity GASS CES-D |
Extended relapse prevention bibliotherapy to problem gamblers does not improve outcome | |
| Joling (2011) | 119 elderly eligible people | Usual treatment plus cognitive behavioral bibliotherapy intervention vs. treatment as usual | T | Subthreshold Depression | 12 weeks | 1 per week | Coping with depression self-help manual | CES-D | Significant change statistically and clinically relevant but not better than TAU | Bibliotherapy is only effective if patients are motivated and acknowledge their depression |
| Kaldo (2012) | 89 persons | Control vs. experimental | T | Insomnia | 6 weeks | Telephone intervention 15 min | Not specified | Insomnia Severity Index | ||
| Kohutek (1983) | 42 participants | Experimental groups only | T | Incarcerated male inmates | 4 weeks | Not specified | Three settings of readings: personal growth packet, rational-growth packet, and general readings packets. | Levenson Locus of Control | Bibliotherapy may facilitate self-concept and internal locus of control as well as usual treatment. No differences between treatments | |
| Macdonald (2013) | 157 participants | Experimental group | T | Mild mental health that does not require referral to psychological or psychiatric services | Not specified | Not specified | “Read yourself well” scheme | Clinical outcomes in routine evaluation questionnaire General health questionnaire |
Positive use of self-help written materials in the management of minor mental health problems | |
| Reeves (2010) | 43 clients | Treatment group vs. control group | T | Mild to moderate stress and anxiety | 5 months | 30–40 min per session | Assisted therapy | The hospital anxiety and depression scale The clinical outcomes in routine evaluation score Satisfaction questionnaire Compliance questionnaire |
Assisted self-help package produces clinically significant improvements above of those in waiting list | |
| Van Lankveld (1999) | 246 couples | Voluntary response sample and waiting list group | T | Sexual dysfunctions | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not specified | CIDI GRISS SCL90 IBCS MMQ IPSO |
No differences between bibliotherapy group and control group | |
| Volpe (2015) | 41 patients | Control group vs. experimental group | T | Functional psychosis | 6 months | 90 min | Serious literature materials | Brief Psychiatric rating scale The Personal Health Questionnaire Depression Scale Mini-Mental State Examination |
Statistical significant improvement of cognitive and psychosocial functioning | |
| Wright (2000) | 45 patients | Wait list group control vs. experimental | T | Panic Attacks | 6 months | Not specified | “Coping with panic” Manual | Panic Attacks Symptoms and Cognitions Questionnaires, Avoidance Questionnaire, Coping Strategies (CS) and Confidence in CS Questionnaires, Beck Depressive Inventory |
Significant reductions of frequency of panic attacks, panic cognitions, anticipatory anxiety, avoidance and depression. |
BDI II, Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition; CES-D, Center for Epidemiological Studies - Depression Scale; CIDI, Composite International Diagnostic Interview; DASS, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21; GASS, Gambling Abstinence Self-efficacy Scale; GRISS, Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction; IBCS, Intimate Bodily Contact Scales; IPSO, Interactional Problem Solving Questionnaire; K10, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale; MMQ, Maudsley Marital Questionnaire; SCL90, Symptom Checklist-90.