Table 1 Interventions in the review

Hunkeler (2000)

Depressed primary care patients

Usual care plus telephone support & peer care

'Good care' incorporating regular GP visits, continued antidepressant prescribing and any other referral thought usual by GP. Augmented by telephone-delivered medication adherence support, side-effect discussions and behavioural activation plans (mean of 10.1 × 5.6 min sessions over 16 wks) plus one or more telephone or face-to-face (6/62 participants) peer support contacts.

Usual care plus telephone support

As above, minus peer support

Usual care

As above minus telephone & peer support.

Lange (2001)

Psychology students with trauma experience

Internet-mediated writing therapy

30 web-pages of psychoeducation followed by 10 × 45-min writing sessions over 5 wks (2/wk), therapist feedback (appro× 450 words) provided on 7 occasions across 3 treatment phases (self-confrontation, cognitive re-appraisal, sharing & farewell ritual).

Waiting list

30 web pages of psychoeducation only

Lange (2003)

Individuals with mild-relatively severe trauma symptoms

Internet-mediated writing therapy

30 web-pages of psychoeducation followed by 10 × 45-min writing sessions over 5 wks (2/wk), therapist feedback (approx 450 words) provided on 7 occasions across 3 treatment phases (self-confrontation, cognitive re-appraisal, sharing & farewell ritual).

Delayed treatment

As above, but only received once the intervention group had completed treatment.

Lovell (2006)

Secondary care outpatients with OCD

Face-to-face CBT

10 × 1-hr sessions using exposure & response prevention. Sessions incorporated the establishment of fear hierarchies, use of family co-therapist, weekly exposure targets (to be practised between sessions for at least 1-hr/dy), homework reviews and collaborative problem solving.

Telephone CBT

8 weekly telephone calls of up to 30-mins in length with treatment content identical to above. Homework sheets posted to participants. Initial 1-hr face-to-face session covering the same material as the face-to-face arm plus 1 × 1-hr final session face-to-face

Lynch (1997)

Primary care patients with minor depression

Telephone counselling

6 × 20-min sessions based on problem-solving for depression; homework comprising of 5 steps of treatment including a demonstration of the connection between depressed mood and problems, expressing problems in a form that facilitates solutions, evaluating and modifying these solutions.

Comparison group

No further details provided

Lynch (2004)

Primary care patients with minor depression

Telephone problem solving

Nezu's problem solving therapy adapted for telephone use and administered over a 6-wk period

Telephone stress management

Treatment designed to serve as an attention control with topics including the identification of sources of stress, the importance of diet & exercise, ways of coping with stress

Usual care

Usual treatment deemed appropriate by primary care physician.

McName e (1989)

Housebound agoraphobics with panic disorder

Telephone self exposure

Exposure goals set via 10 × 12-min telephone contacts with therapists. Subjects posted a self-help manual that encouraged use of coping strategies and family co-therapists.

Telephone relaxation therapy

Subjects posted standard taped instructions of Jacobsen's relaxation and instructed to listen for at least 1-hr/dy. Therapy augmented by 10 × 12-min telephone consultations.

Miller (2002)

Women with history of recurrent/chronic depression

Telephone interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-T)

12 × 1-hr scheduled weekly sessions.

Usual care

No treatment beyond usual care

Mohr (2000)

Depressed MS patients

Telephone CBT

8 × 50-min sessions plus a workbook with assignments. Treatment delivered alongside access to usual care.

Usual care

Any treatment given in the course of usual clinician care.

Mohr (2005)

Depressed primary care patients with MS

Telephone CBT (T-CBT)

Weekly 50-min sessions completed over 16 wks.

Telephone supportive emotion focussed therapy (T-SEFT)

Weekly 50-min sessions completed over 16 wks

Nelson (2003)

Depressed children aged 8–14 yrs

Videoconferenc e CBT

8 sessions (1 × 90-min plus 7 × 60-min).

Face-to-face CBT

8 sessions (1 × 90-min plus 7 × 60-min).

Simon (2004)

Depressed primary care patients

Telephone psychotherapy

8 × 30–40 min CBT plus 1 mail contact and 3 × 10–15 min telephone sessions focussed on medication management, caseload tracking and structured assessment.

Telephone care management

As above minus telephone CBT. Patients given CBT self-management booklet but no further support provided.

Usual care

No further details given

Swinson (1995)

Rural primary care patients suffering from panic disorder with agoraphobia

Telephone behaviour therapy

Mailed psychometric package and educational workbook serving as an introduction to behavior therapy concepts (e.g. hierarchy construction, exposure exercises, record keeping); 8 × 1-hr scheduled therapy sessions completed over approx. 10 wks. Therapy included exposure principles & exercises, long term goals, hierarchy construction, coping strategies, diary keeping, homework planning & reviewing.

Waiting list

Initial psychometric package followed 10 wks later by an additional psychometric package and a workbook serving as an introduction to behavior therapy concepts (e.g. hierarchy construction, exposure exercises, record keeping).