Characteristics of the included studies.

<p>BPRS: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, CGI-S: Clinical Global Impression Severity Scale, DSM: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, PANSS: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.</p

Agreement between the observed NNTs, those converted from Cohen's d according to Kraemer's method and those according to Furukawa's method for various definitions of response.

<p>BPRS: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, PANSS: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.</p

Overstatements in abstract conclusions claiming effectiveness of interventions in psychiatry: A meta-epidemiological investigation

<div><p>Objective</p><p>Abstracts of scientific reports are sometimes criticized for exaggerating significant results when compared to the corresponding full texts. Such abstracts can mislead the readers. We aimed to conduct a systematic review of overstatements in abstract conclusions in psychiatry trials.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We searched for randomized controlled trials published in 2014 that explicitly claimed effectiveness of any intervention for mental disorders in their abstract conclusion, using the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials. Claims of effectiveness in abstract conclusion were categorized into three types: superiority (stating superiority of intervention to control), limited superiority (intervention has limited superiority), and equal efficactiveness (claiming equal effectiveness of intervention with standard treatment control), and full text results into three types: significant (all primary outcomes were statistically significant in favor of the intervention), mixed (primary outcomes included both significant and non-significant results), or all results non-significant. By comparing these classifications, we assessed whether each abstract was overstated. Our primary outcome was the proportion of overstated abstract conclusions.</p><p>Results</p><p>We identified and included 60 relevant trials. 20 out of 60 studies (33.3%) showed overstatements. Nine reports reported only significant results although none of their primary outcomes were significant. Large sample size (>300) and publication in high impact factor (IF>10) journals were associated with low occurrence of overstatements.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>We found that one in three psychiatry studies claiming effectiveness in their abstract conclusion, either superior to control or equal to standard treatment, for any mental disorders were overstated in comparison with the full text results. Readers of the psychiatry literature are advised to scrutinize the full text results regardless of the claims in the abstract.</p><p>Trial registration</p><p>University hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) Clinical Trials Registry (<a href="https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000021617" target="_blank">UMIN000018668</a>)</p></div

Flow chart of study selection.

<p>Flow chart of study selection.</p

Definitions of overstatement in abstract conclusion.

<p>Definitions of overstatement in abstract conclusion.</p

Summary of results: Overstatements (shaded cells) in abstract conclusion (N = 60(%)).

<p>Summary of results: Overstatements (shaded cells) in abstract conclusion (N = 60(%)).</p

Characteristics of trials (n = 60).

<p>Characteristics of trials (n = 60).</p

Effects of an Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) Program in Manga Format on Improving Subthreshold Depressive Symptoms among Healthy Workers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

<div><p>Objective</p><p>The purpose of this study was to develop a new Internet-based computerized cognitive behavior therapy (iCBT) program in Manga format, the Japanese cartoon, for workers and to examine the effects of the iCBT program on improving subthreshold depression using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design among workers employed in private companies in Japan.</p><p>Method</p><p>All workers in a company (n = 290) and all workers in three departments (n = 1,500) at the headquarters of another large company were recruited by an invitation e-mail. Participants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated to intervention or control groups (N = 381 for each group). A six-week, six-lesson iCBT program using Manga (Japanese comic) story was developed. The program included several CBT skills: self-monitoring, cognitive restructuring, assertiveness, problem solving, and relaxation. The intervention group studied the iCBT program at a frequency of one lesson per week. Depression (Beck Depression Inventory II; BDI-II) was assessed as a primary outcome at baseline, and three- and six-month follow-ups for both intervention and control groups were performed.</p><p>Results</p><p>The iCBT program showed a significant intervention effect on BDI-II (t = −1.99, p<0.05) with small effect sizes (Cohen's d: −0.16, 95% Confidence Interval: −0.32 to 0.00, at six-month follow-up).</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>The present study first demonstrated that a computerized cognitive behavior therapy delivered via the Internet was effective in improving depression in the general working population. It seems critical to improve program involvement of participants in order to enhance the effect size of an iCBT program.</p><p>Trial Registration</p><p>UMIN Clinical Trials Registry <a href="http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=NCT00988767" target="_blank">UMIN000006210</a><a href="https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr.cgi?function=brows&action=brows&recptno=R000007341&type=summary&language=E" target="_blank"></a></p></div

Means (SDs) of outcome variables at baseline, 3- and 6-month follow-up in the intervention and control groups: Analysis of participants with high psychological distress at baseline (K6≧5).

<p>Note: BDI-II =  Beck Depression Inventory II, K6 =  Kessler's psychological distress scale, DAS =  Japanese version of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale 24.</p><p>* The number of participants was 193 in intervention group on Knowledge of cognitive restructuring and Efficacy of cognitive restructuring at baseline.</p

Effect of the iCBT program on primary and secondary outcome variables: Analysis of participants with high psychological distress at baseline (K6≧5).

<p>Note: BDI-II =  Beck Depression Inventory II, K6 =  Kessler's psychological distress scale, DAS =  Japanese version of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale 24, T1 =  baseline, T2 =  3-month follow-up, T3 =  6-month follow-up.</p