JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Many people with mental health problems do not receive the care they need. Digital mental health interventions have been shown to be effective in many trials and offer a promising way to reach more people in need. However, their uptake and use remain limited, in part due to concerns about data privacy. Yet, these concerns may not be equally significant for all users.

Objective:

This trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of an anonymous online self-help tool for social anxiety that processes no personal data and has some disadvantages in terms of usability, compared to an otherwise identical, non-anonymous evidence-based tool. Furthermore, the trial will investigate user preferences for the two program versions and evaluate the impact of these preferences on treatment outcomes.

Methods:

In this partially randomized patient preference trial, two versions (anonymous vs. non-anonymous) of the same previously researched program will be compared in 452 participants with increased levels of social anxiety. Half of the participants will be randomized to a program version, while the other half will be assigned to their preferred version. The primary outcome is social anxiety symptoms. Secondary outcomes include depression, stigma of mental illness, and quality of life.

Results:

Recruitment started in September 2024. As of May 2025, over 350 participants have been included in the study. Recruitment is expected to end in 2025, and results are expected to be available in 2026.

Conclusions:

The results of this trial will determine whether anonymously accessible interventions, which could easily be made freely available, are less efficacious than their non-anonymous counterparts and will explore the impact of user preferences on treatment outcomes. The findings could contribute to making digital interventions more accessible and tailoring interventions to individual preferences. Clinical Trial: clinicaltrials.gov NCT06465589 on July 4th, 2024