Web-based cognitive bias intervention for psychiatric disorders: protocol for a systematic review

• Main Authors: Zhang, Melvyn, Ying, Jiangbo, Song, Guo, Fung, Daniel Shuen Sheng, Smith, Helen
• Other Authors: Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::Medicine; Cognitive Bias Modification; Attention Bias Modification
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/89803; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/46389
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Background: Traditional psychological therapies focus mainly on modification of individuals’ conscious decision-making process. Unconscious processes, such as cognitive biases, have been found accountable for various psychiatric psychopathologies, and advances in technologies have transformed how bias modification programs are being delivered. Objective: The primary aim of this review is to synthesize evidence of Web-based cognitive bias modification intervention for bias reduction. The secondary aim is to determine the change in symptoms for individual psychiatric disorders following bias modification. Methods: A systematic review will be conducted including only randomized trials. There will be no restrictions on participants included in the study. A search will be conducted on the respective databases until 2017. Selection of studies will be by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Quality assessment of included studies will be conducted using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. A narrative synthesis of identified articles will then be conducted. A meta-analysis will be considered only if there are sufficient articles in a domain for statistical analysis. Ethical approval for this protocol and the planned systematic review was not required. Results: We expect that the review will be completed 12 months from publication of this protocol. Conclusions: This review is of importance given how technology has transformed delivery of conventional therapies. Findings from this review will guide future research involving technology and cognitive bias modification interventions.