Smartphone-Based Digital CBT Produces Large and Sustained Benefits for GAD

In a fully remote US randomized clinical trial of 351 adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), smartphone-delivered digital cognitive behavioral therapy (DCBT) produced significantly greater symptom improvement and higher remission rates than an active psychoeducation control, with benefits sustained through 24 weeks. The DCBT mobile application (DaylightRx) for GAD delivered a digital formulation of evidence-based CBT techniques—cognitive restructuring, applied relaxation, stimulus control, avoidance reduction, mindfulness, problem solving, and imaginal exposure—taught through interactive lessons and guided practices. Participants receiving DCBT showed markedly lower anxiety severity on the 7-item GAD scale at both 10 and 24 weeks, with large effect sizes, and were substantially more likely to achieve remission as assessed by blinded evaluators. At 10 weeks, 71% of DCBT participants met remission criteria compared with 35% in the psychoeducation group, with remission rates remaining higher at 24 weeks. Conducted as a single-blind, decentralized national trial, this study demonstrates that a self-directed, smartphone-based DCBT program can deliver effective and durable treatment for GAD, highlighting its potential to expand access to evidence-based care and generate meaningful public health impact. Source: https://jamanetwork.com/