Effectiveness of stress control large group psychoeducation for anxiety and depression: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objectives: This review sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the ‘Stress Control’ (SC) large psychoeducational 6-session group programme developed to increase access to treatment for patients with anxiety and depression. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis (Prospero registration: CRD42020173676). Methods: Pre–post and post-treatment follow-up effect sizes were extracted and synthesized in a random effects meta-analysis, and variations in effect sizes were investigated via moderator analyses. Secondary analyses synthesized between-group effect sizes from controlled studies containing comparator treatments and calculated the average dropout rate. The quality of the meta-analysis was assessed using the GRADE approach. Results: Nineteen studies with pre–post treatment outcomes were included. The average group size was N = 39, and the average dropout rate was 34%. Pooled effect sizes indicated moderate pre–post treatment reductions in anxiety (ES = 0.58; CI 0.41 to 0.75; N = 5597; Z = 7.13; p