Gerhard Andersson

Linköping University | LiU · Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning (IBL)

Background Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) has previously shown promise in effectively treating climate change-related distress. The aim of the present study was to investigate participants’ experiences of undergoing a novel ICBT program targeting psychological symptoms associated with climate change. Methods Telephone inte...

This narrative historical review examines the development of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) in Sweden, describing its progression within both academic and routine care settings. The review encompasses key publications, significant scientific findings, and contextual factors in real-world settings. Over 25 years ago, Sweden emerg...

Background Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (ICBT), which can involve guidance from a clinician, continues to be a way to deliver psychological treatments. A previous umbrella review identified moderate-to-large effect sizes favouring ICBT compared to control conditions when treating major depression and anxiety disorders. Given the r...

Refugees often experience multiple losses. Despite this, and even though the loss is often due to unnatural causes and violent killings, the presence of Prolonged Grief (PG) among refugees may be obscured by other diagnoses such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this cross-sectional study, we assessed the prevalence of PG...

Background Internet-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy (ICBT) and mindfulness interventions are commonly used to treat elevated levels of stress. There are however few high-quality studies that examine ICBT with integrated mindfulness components for symptoms of stress and exhaustion, and the role of mindfulness exercises in digital treatment. Method...

Background Deliberate Practice (DP), which underscores the importance of expert mentorship, personalized learning objectives, feedback, and repetition, has been suggested as a method to enhance the effectiveness of therapists. Method The study tested the efficacy of an eight-week, structured, group-based online course, enriched with peer feedback,...

Objective: Loneliness is a global health issue, but current loneliness interventions are not scalable enough to reach many who might benefit from them. Brief online interventions could greatly expand access to evidence-based loneliness interventions. Method: We conducted a preregistered three-armed trial (N = 908, ages 16–78) to compare three self-...

Are religious people more generous than non-religious people? If so, are they more generous in general or mainly to members of their religious ingroup (i.e., parochially generous)? Also, do levels of parochial generosity differ between Christians, Muslims, and atheists? This paper examined these questions by using a novel design of the Dictator Gam...

Background: This study aimed to investigate whether Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy intervention (ICBT) for individuals with tinnitus had an indirect effect on the third-party disability noticed by significant others (SOs). Methods: Significant Others Questionnaire (CTSOQ). Individuals with tinnitus completed standardized self-reported...

Introduction Internet-based self-help interventions have the potential to help people address their emotional needs at relatively low costs. However, if the system does not offer optimal functions, it could reduce end-user adherence and satisfaction with treatment and compromise the effectiveness of the program. This study evaluated the usability o...

Introduction Suicidal ideation is common in major depressive disorder (MDD) and a risk factor for suicidal behavior. Although it can be reduced with psychological treatments, the risks often make clinicians hesitant to offer treatment. This concerns remote treatment options, such as internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy (ICBT), which may be...

Background: This study aimed to examine whether individuals with chronic tinnitus report more positive experiences following internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Methods: A mixed-methods design was used, nested in clinical trials evaluating internet interventions for tinnitus. Participants (n = 164) completed online questionnaires (bo...

Background: Eating disorders are psychiatric conditions involving not just weight, body, and shape concerns but also self-esteem, emotional, interpersonal, and cognitive difficulties. Understanding the deeper meaning of living with an eating disorder is significant from a theoretical standpoint and crucial for identifying factors that maintain or i...

Objective: Loneliness is a global health issue, but current loneliness interventions are not scalable enough to reach many who might benefit from them. Brief online interventions could greatly expand access to evidence-based loneliness interventions. Method: We conducted a pre-registered three-armed trial (masked ClinicalTrials.gov and OSF: https:/...

Background Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) has previously shown promise in effectively treating climate change-related distress. The aim of the present study was to investigate participants’ experiences of undergoing a novel ICBT program targeting psychological symptoms associated with climate change. Methods Telephone inte...

Background Increasing interest has centered on the psychotherapeutic working alliance as a means of understanding clinical change in digital mental health interventions in recent years. However, little is understood about how and to what extent a digital mental health program can have an impact on the working alliance and clinical outcomes in a ble...

BACKGROUND Prompts offer a promising strategy to promote client engagement in internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT). However, if the prompts do not meet the needs of clients, they can potentially be more obtrusive rather than helpful. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to test if prompts tailored based on timing and frequency, al...

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is highly prevalent and debilitating disorder. Treatments exist but are not accessible and/or helpful for all patients, indicating a need for accessible treatment alternatives. The aim of the present trial was to evaluate internet-delivered psychodynamic therapy (IPDT) with and without therapist guidance, compared to a...

Background Online treatments are increasing in number and are currently available for a wide range of clinical problems. To date little is known about the role of treatment expectations and other placebo-like mechanisms in online settings compared to traditional face-to-face treatment. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed individual participa...

Background: Effective emotional regulation (ER) skills are important for sexual function, as they impact emotional awareness and expression during sexual activity, and therefore, satisfaction and distress. Emotion regulation interventions may offer a promising approach to improve sexual health. Web-based emotion regulation may be a therapeutic stra...

We investigated distinct profiles in emotion regulation strategies (reappraisal and suppression) and their associations with sexual function and mental health. The online survey sample consisted of 5436 adult participants. The gender stratified cluster analysis resulted in a four-cluster solution for both men and women. Better sexual function and m...

Internet-based psychological interventions have increased the accessibility of evidence-based treatments in clinical psychology but are still an unexplored delivery format in sport psychology research. This study describes the development and evaluates the experiences of an internet-based acceptance and commitment therapy/training (I-ACT) intervent...

Many individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) have depressive symptoms that meet criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD). In our study, we examined the temporal relationship between symptoms of social anxiety and symptoms of depression during the course of an 11-week internet-delivered cognitive behavioral treatment (ICBT) for SAD (n = 1...

Loneliness is a prevalent and stigmatized phenomenon associated with adverse (mental) health outcomes. However, evidence-based interventions to alleviate loneliness are scarce. This randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov-ID: NCT04655196) evaluated the efficacy of an internet-based cognitive behavioral self-help intervention (ICBT) to reduc...

Even with optimally fitted hearing aids, many individuals with hearing impairment struggle to hear in situations with difficult listening conditions. Active Communication Education (ACE) is an interactive group rehabilitation program aimed at helping people with hearing loss communicate more effectively using communication strategies to better cope...

Perfectionism can be problematic when your self-worth is dependent on achievements and leads to inflexible standards, cognitive biases, and rigid behaviors. Cognitive behavior therapy for perfectionism is shown to be effective, including for targeting psychiatric symptoms and when delivered via the Internet (iCBT-P). However, few studies have compa...

Objective Migration is a profound life transition that may threaten migrants’ well-being and mental health. Results of several studies suggest that social self-efficacy beliefs may be beneficial for the psychological adjustment of migrants, buffering the effect of specific stressors related to migration, helping them reduce anxiety levels, and prov...

Background There is extensive research indicating that transdiagnostic interventions are effective for adults and children with anxiety and depressive disorders; however, limited research has been conducted on the efficacy of such programs targeting parents of children with anxiety and depressive symptoms delivered via the Internet. This study aims...

Background Emerging adulthood is often associated with mental health problems. About one in three university students report symptoms of depression and anxiety that can negatively affect their developmental trajectory concerning work, intimate relationships, and health. This can interfere with academic performance, as mood and anxiety disorders are...

Increased knowledge about sex differences is important for development of individualized treatments against many diseases as well as understanding behavioral and pathological differences. This review summarizes sex chromosome effects on gene expression, epigenetics, and hormones in relation to the brain. We explore neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cog...

Background: The ever-increasing spread of Internet-based systems for common mental disorders has generated the need for brief online screening methods. This study aims to test the psychometric properties of the Web Screening Questionnaire (WSQ) to examine its suitability for screening for common mental health problems among a community sample of It...

Aim The Brunnsviken Brief Quality of Life Scale (BBQ) is a popular quality of life measure, indexing satisfaction with and importance of six empirically selected life domains. Whether these domains hold cross‐cultural validity remains largely unexplored. The current study developed and psychometrically validated a Japanese version of the BBQ (BBQ‐J...

Introduction: Internet-based psychological treatments for depression have been around for more than 20 years. There has been a continuous line of research with new research questions being asked and studies conducted. Areas covered: In this paper, the author reviews studies with a focus on papers published from 2020 and onwards based on a Medlin...

Background Providing informal care can be experienced as stressful and lead to caregiver burden. Internet-based interventions, a specific form of eHealth, have proven to be a good option to support informal caregivers. SOSteniamoci, an internet-based intervention already tested in Lithuania, was translated and adapted for Italian caregivers. Objec...

Treating culturally diverse patients (CDPs) presents considerable challenges for psychotherapists, including language barriers, differing beliefs, and insecurities. Improving their transcultural competence requires training, but empirical evidence is lacking. This 6-week randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact of standardized internet-base...

Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy (ICBT) was developed in the late 1990s, and since then, a large number of studies have been conducted. Many programs have been developed and sometimes implemented, and ICBT has become a major way to investigate and innovate CBT including important questions regarding mechanisms and moderating factors. T...

Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) is promising in alleviating loneliness in adults. Identifying individuals who benefit from ICBT for loneliness is pivotal to offering this intervention in a more targeted way and improving the intervention for those who do not benefit. This secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT)...

Background Depressive symptoms in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) can lead to increased healthcare use. In a randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02778074), we reported that a 9-week internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) program (n = 72) compared to an online discussion forum (ODF) (n = 72) had moderate t...

Background Most forcibly displaced refugees in Sweden originate from the Arab Republic of Syria and Iraq. Approximately half of all refugees are aged between 15 and 26 years. This particular group of youths is at a higher risk for developing various mental disorders. However, low use of mental health services across Europe has been reported. Previo...

Background Low self-esteem is common and can be impairing for adolescents. Treatments that primarily target low-esteem are lacking. Internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (ICBT) is a treatment that can be used for adolescents but ICBT is yet to be evaluated for low self-esteem using qualitative methods. The aim of this study was to investig...

Aims The aim of this study was to develop and refine the content and design of an internet-based support and education program for patients awaiting kidney transplantation from deceased donors. Design A Delphi process was used. Methods A prototype internet-based intervention was drafted, based on previous research. The intervention included educa...

Objectives Internet-delivered psychological interventions can be regarded as evidence-based practices and have been implemented in psychiatric and somatic care at primary and specialist levels. However, challenges as low adherence and poor routinization, have arisen during attempts to implement internet-delivered interventions in chronic pain setti...

Few studies have explored the views of fathers in relation to daughters diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN). The aim of this study was to investigate this aspect. This study was part of a larger study. Fourteen fathers (age 46–68 years) of 14 daughters (age 19–29 years) diagnosed with AN were interviewed between 1996 and 2002. The interview consis...

Highlights •One of the first trials examining the efficacy of a brief preventive recovery training program in a sample of distressed employees. •Preliminary results suggest that employees across a wide range of professions could learn to recover, reduce stress, and improve quality-of-life. •This type of accessible and brief recovery intervention mi...

Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) interventions can be as effective as traditional face-to-face therapy for various mental health conditions. However, a significant challenge these online interventions face is the high rate of people who start but then stop using the program. This early discontinuation can be seen as incomplete...

Objectives Clinician-supported internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) can be an effective treatment option when treating social anxiety disorder (SAD). Unguided ICBT is often found to be less effective. One possible solution to reduce the costs of clinician support is to provide support on demand. In this format of guidance, partici...

Aims The aims of this study were to evaluate: (I) the short- and long-term effects of the internet-based cognitive behavior (iCBT) program on symptoms of distress and fear disorder in CVD patients, and (II) the association between changes in depression and changes in symptoms of distress and fear disorder from baseline to 12-months follow-up. Meth...

The COVID-19 pandemic influence mental health in both infected and non-infected populations. In this study we examined if individually tailored internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) could be an effective treatment for psychological symptoms related to the pandemic. Following recruitment we included 76 participants who were randomized t...

Background Emotion regulation difficulties underlie several psychiatric conditions, and treatments that focus on improving emotion regulation can have an effect on a broad range of symptoms. However, participants’ in-depth experiences of participating in emotion regulation treatments have not been much studied. In this qualitative study, we investi...

BACKGROUND Emotion regulation interventions may offer a promising approach to improve sexual health. Internet-based emotion regulation may be a therapeutic strategy for men and women with sexual health concerns. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of intervention trials investigating their effects in this context, much less using the Internet. OBJEC...

Background: Emerging adulthood is associated with mental health problems. About one in three university students shows symptoms of depression and anxiety that can negatively affect their developmental trajectory in work, intimate relationships and health, and interfere with academic performance. Mood and anxiety disorders are key predictors of drop...

Background:Approximately 10% of young people ‘often’ feel lonely, with loneliness being predictive of multiple physical and mental health problems. Research has found CBT to be effective for reducing loneliness in adults, but interventions for young people who report loneliness as their primary difficulty are lacking. Method:CBT for Chronic Lonelin...

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent public health issue associated with multiple physical and mental health consequences for survivors. Digital interventions can provide low-threshold support to those experiencing IPV, but existing digital interventions have limited efficacy in improving the safety and mental health of IPV sur...