This randomized clinical trial tested a text-message based treatment for major depressive disorder in 103 young adults. The participants received cognitive behavioral therapy delivered via text messages, while the control group waited for standard care. The study tracked results for three months to see how anxiety and mood changed over time.
Researchers found that the text-message group showed significant reductions in generalized anxiety disorder symptoms compared to the wait-list control. The difference between the two groups was large, with a Cohen's d effect size of 1.26. Additionally, 41.3% of the young adults in the text-message group reached a high level of functioning, meaning they had no or minimal anxiety symptoms at the end of the study.
The treatment also helped increase behavioral activation and reduced perseverative thinking, which is often linked to rumination. No adverse events, serious adverse events, or discontinuations were reported during the trial. This study suggests that text-message therapy may be a useful option for young adults dealing with anxiety and depression, though the sample size was relatively small.