Internet-delivered treatment for patients suffering from severe functional somatic disorders: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Functional somatic disorders (FSDs) with symptoms from multiple organs, i.e., multi-system type, are common in the general population and may lead to disability and reduced quality of life. Evidence for efficient treatment programs has been established, however, there is a need for making treatments accessible to a larger group of patients. Internet-delivered therapy has become prevalent and has proven as effective as face-toface therapy, while providing a flexible and easily accessible treatment alternative. The aim of the current study is to compare the efficacy of the therapist-assisted internet-delivered treatment program One step at a time (OneStep) with the internet-delivered self-help program Get started (GetStarted). Methods: A total of 166 participants aged 18-60 years diagnosed with multi-system FSD will be assessed and randomized to either 1) OneStep: a 14-week program consisting of 11 treatment modules based on principles from cognitive behavioural therapy or 2) GetStarted consisting of 1 module on psychoeducation. The primary outcome is physical health, assessed by a Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) aggregate score of the subscales vitality, physical functioning, and bodily pain 3 months after end-of-treatment and self-reported improvement assessed by the Clinical Global Improvement Scale. Secondary outcomes include symptom load, depression, anxiety, and illness worry. Process measures include emotional distress, illness perception, illness behaviour, and symptom interference. Conclusions: This study is the first study to test an internet-delivered treatment program for FSD, multi-system type and has the potential to show the importance of making evidence-based internet-delivered treatment for FSD more accessible.

Automated summary

The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of therapist-assisted internet-delivered treatment program OneStep with the internet-delivered self-help program GetStarted for multi-system functional somatic disorders (FSDs). A total of 166 participants diagnosed with FSD will be assessed and randomized to either OneStep or GetStarted. The primary outcome is physical health, measured by a Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) aggregate score, and self-reported improvement. Secondary outcomes include symptom load, depression, anxiety, and illness worry. This study has the potential to show the importance of accessible internet-delivered treatment for FSD.