Participants and Recruitment
depression, anxiety
RECRUITMENT, SAID
Recruitment took place between November 2020 and March 2022 via social media advertisements, health websites, and information flyers sent to medical clinics. All applicants were directed to the Life Flex study website created for the trial, in which they completed a 2-step screening process. All applicants gave their consent to take part in the study by reading a Plain Language Information Statement on the web and clicking a checkbox that said the following: “I have read the Plain Language Information Statement and I agree to the above conditions.” The Plain Language Information Statement informed participants of how long each diagnostic assessment and questionnaire would take, along with the estimated weekly time required to complete the intervention. Participants were also provided with detailed information regarding data protection and storage procedures. The aims of the study were not stated, no formal participant debriefing was undertaken, and the clinical trial adhered to the CONSORT-EHEALTH (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials of Electronic and Mobile Health Applications and Online Telehealth) checklist [Participants were eligible for the trial if they met the following criteria: aged ≥18 years, Australian residents, access to the internet, ability to register their interest on the web using an email address, ability to read and write in English, and symptoms or diagnosis of anxiety or depression (as assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview 7.0.2) [