Relapse prevention following guided self-help for common health problems: A Scoping Review

Purpose

To gain an in-depth understanding of interventions, tools, and resources available focused on maintaining recovery and preventing relapse for patients with anxiety and/or depression symptoms following guided self-help (GSH).

Methods

The literature search was conducted on four electronic databases from inception until May 2024 (PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, PubMed and Web of Science). Additional searches were also conducted through other sources, including Grey Literature Databases, Google Search Engine, Citations and contacting experts in the field. All identified articles were screened for eligibility by two independent reviewers and quality appraised.

Results

A total of 1277 records across databases and other sources were identified. After removing duplicates, 511 were screened for eligibility. A total of six references met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Three peer-reviewed publications were identified, and all reported an intervention targeting relapse prevention following GSH which included monthly telephone follow-up calls. The other three sources included two workbooks and a mobile application developed and completed towards the final GSH sessions and used following treatment. All of the articles highlight the importance of independently learning and practicing skills and strategies to ease an individuals’ symptoms following discharge from GSH.

Conclusions

The current review found limited evidence surrounding recovery and relapse prevention interventions following GSH. Developing this field of research by further creating and testing relapse prevention interventions can provide an understanding of the core components needed in such tools, to successfully maintain treatment gains over time and support individuals to continue their recovery journey.