Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2013 Jun;28(3):450-71.
doi: 10.1093/her/cyt053.

The impact of web-based approaches on psychosocial health in chronic physical and mental health conditions

Christine L Paul  1 , Mariko L Carey, Rob W Sanson-Fisher, Louise E Houlcroft, Heidi E Turon
Affiliations
Review

The impact of web-based approaches on psychosocial health in chronic physical and mental health conditions

Christine L Paul et al. Health Educ Res. 2013 Jun.

Abstract

Chronic conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and mental illness are increasingly prevalent and associated with considerable psychosocial burden. There is a need to consider population health approaches to reducing this burden. Web-based interventions offer an alternative to traditional face-to-face interventions with several potential advantages. This systematic review explores the effectiveness, reach and adoption of web-based approaches for improving psychosocial outcomes in patients with common chronic conditions. A systematic review of published work examining web-based psychosocial interventions for patients with chronic conditions from 2001 to 2011. Seventy-four publications were identified. Thirty-six studies met the criteria for robust research design. A consistent significant effect in favour of the web-based intervention was identified in 20 studies, particularly those using cognitive behavioural therapy for depression. No positive effect was found in 11 studies, and mixed effects were found in 5 studies. The role of sociodemographic characteristics in relation to outcomes or issues of reach and adoption was explored in very few studies. Although it is possible to achieve positive effects on psychosocial outcomes using web-based approaches, effects are not consistent across conditions. Robust comparisons of the reach, adoption and cost-effectiveness of web-based support compared with other options such as face-to-face and print-based approaches are needed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Flow diagram of studies selected for inclusion in review.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Effect size as a function of sample size in included studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Risk Factors Contributing to Chronic Disease. Canberra: AIHW; 2012.
    1. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Chronic Disease. 2010. Available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/692C03405807CF0BCA2577370.... Accessed: 20 November 2012.
    1. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion. 2009. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/index.htm. Accessed: 20 November 2012.
    1. Yach D, Hawkes C, Gould L, et al. The global burden of chronic diseases: overcoming impediments to prevention and control. JAMA. 2004;291:2616–22. - PubMed
    1. Daar AS, Singer PA, Leah Persad D, et al. Grand challenges in chronic non-communicable diseases. Nature. 2007;450:494–6. - PubMed