Implementation Outcomes and Effectiveness of a Personalized Single Session Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Depression and Anxiety
Abstract
Single-session interventions (SSIs) have become increasingly popular psychotherapeutic interventions in recent years due to their potential in providing a therapeutic and problem-focused experience in one encounter. However, less focus has been given to dissemination and implementation outcomes for SSIs within existing healthcare settings. This study evaluated the effectiveness and suitability for broad implementation of a personalized Single Session Cognitive Behavioral Intervention (SSCBI) for depression and anxiety, delivered in a university-based training clinic in Singapore. Using a mixed-methods design, adult therapy clients (N = 24) completed pre-treatment and follow-up measures assessing depression, anxiety, and cognitive and affective subjective well-being. Quantitative analyses showed reductions in both symptoms of depression (d = 0.94, p < .001) and anxiety (d = 0.45, p = .038). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with clients (n = 9) and clinicians (n = 9), and thematic analysis identified twelve key themes mapped to five implementation outcomes: acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, and adoption. Both clients and clinicians reported high acceptability of the intervention, highlighting its structure, relevance, and utility in supporting coping skill development. Clinicians felt the protocol was feasible and appropriate for clients with relatively less complex presentations, with full protocol adherence achieved across all therapeutic sessions. Recruitment (63.5%) and completion (78.1%) rates exceeded the pre-registered feasibility benchmarks. These findings provide preliminary evidence supporting our personalized SSCBI as an effective and scalable brief psychological intervention, particularly suited for resource-limited settings. Future research should investigate its longer-term impact, cost-effectiveness, and broader applicability in community and primary care contexts.
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BibTeX
@misc{au2026implementation,
title = {{Implementation Outcomes and Effectiveness of a Personalized Single Session Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Depression and Anxiety}},
author = {Yui Ting Chloe Au and Yousheng Lester LAI and Jolie LOH and Mary McNamara and Jasper A. J. Smits and Kean J. Hsu},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/dsg4x_v2},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/dsg4x_v2/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Implementation Outcomes and Effectiveness of a Personalized Single Session Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Depression and Anxiety
AU - Yui Ting Chloe Au
AU - Yousheng Lester LAI
AU - Jolie LOH
AU - Mary McNamara
AU - Jasper A. J. Smits
AU - Kean J. Hsu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/29
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/dsg4x_v2
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/dsg4x_v2/
AB - Single-session interventions (SSIs) have become increasingly popular psychotherapeutic interventions in recent years due to their potential in providing a therapeutic and problem-focused experience in one encounter. However, less focus has been given to dissemination and implementation outcomes for SSIs within existing healthcare settings. This study evaluated the effectiveness and suitability for broad implementation of a personalized Single Session Cognitive Behavioral Intervention (SSCBI) for depression and anxiety, delivered in a university-based training clinic in Singapore. Using a mixed-methods design, adult therapy clients (N = 24) completed pre-treatment and follow-up measures assessing depression, anxiety, and cognitive and affective subjective well-being. Quantitative analyses showed reductions in both symptoms of depression (d = 0.94, p < .001) and anxiety (d = 0.45, p = .038). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with clients (n = 9) and clinicians (n = 9), and thematic analysis identified twelve key themes mapped to five implementation outcomes: acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity, and adoption. Both clients and clinicians reported high acceptability of the intervention, highlighting its structure, relevance, and utility in supporting coping skill development. Clinicians felt the protocol was feasible and appropriate for clients with relatively less complex presentations, with full protocol adherence achieved across all therapeutic sessions. Recruitment (63.5%) and completion (78.1%) rates exceeded the pre-registered feasibility benchmarks. These findings provide preliminary evidence supporting our personalized SSCBI as an effective and scalable brief psychological intervention, particularly suited for resource-limited settings. Future research should investigate its longer-term impact, cost-effectiveness, and broader applicability in community and primary care contexts.
ER -