Table 4.
Effect size of digital mental health services for reducing anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic according to study characteristics.
| Group | Studies, n | SMDa (95% CI) | Q | P value | |||
| Sample size | 0.24 | .62 | |||||
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≥81 | 7 | −0.54 (−1.01 to −0.07) |
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<81 | 8 | −0.85 (−1.99 to 0.29) |
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| Location | 0.49 | .48 | |||||
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High-income countries | 10 | −0.49 (−0.66 to −0.13) |
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LMICsb | 5 | −1.17 (−3.02 to 0.68) |
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| Measurement of anxiety1 | 0 | .95 | |||||
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GAD-7c | 5 | −0.68 (−1.31 to −0.04) |
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Other measurementsd | 10 | −0.71 (−1.61 to 0.19) |
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| Measurement of anxiety2 | 2.06 | .15 | |||||
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DASS-21e | 4 | −0.23 (−0.38 to −0.08) |
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Other measurements | 11 | −0.85 (−1.68 to −0.02) |
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| Duration of follow-up | 1.14 | .29 | |||||
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Short-term | 12 | −0.80 (−1.55 to −0.06) |
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Long-term | 3 | −0.29 (−0.86 to 0.29) |
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| Duration of intervention | 0.58 | .45 | |||||
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≥4 weeks | 9 | −0.47 (−0.91 to −0.04) |
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<4 weeks | 6 | −1.07 (−2.56 to 0.41) |
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a SMD: standardized mean difference.
bLMICs: low- and middle-income countries.
cGAD-7: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7.
dOther measurements including Beck Anxiety Inventory, Brief Symptom Inventory, Child Behavior Checklist, College Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Self-rating Anxiety Scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.
eDASS−21: Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21.