Transdiagnostic Internet Therapy For Internalizing Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$687,348.00
Summary
Anxiety and depressive disorders account for 58% of the burden of mental disorders, or 7.5% of the burden of human disease. Internet treatments for the individual disorders are effective but require careful diagnosis. We intend to develop and prove the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic Internet treatment program that will be easily used by primary care clinicians. We will disseminate and evaluate the developed and proven program to general practitioners and psychologists.
Evaluation Of Internet-based, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy For The Treatment Of Anxiety Disorders In Adolescents
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$570,750.00
Summary
Anxiety disorders affect around 5-10% of adolescents and are associated with a range of adverse consequences if left untreated. The majority of young people with anxiety disorders do not seek nor receive treatment. This may be due partly to the perceived stigma of attending a mental health clinic and logistic problems of attending therapy. A challenge is to identify ways in which treatment can be made more accessible to adolescents in need, particularly those in rural and remote areas. Contrary ....Anxiety disorders affect around 5-10% of adolescents and are associated with a range of adverse consequences if left untreated. The majority of young people with anxiety disorders do not seek nor receive treatment. This may be due partly to the perceived stigma of attending a mental health clinic and logistic problems of attending therapy. A challenge is to identify ways in which treatment can be made more accessible to adolescents in need, particularly those in rural and remote areas. Contrary to original beliefs, evidence shows that the internet can be used to deliver effective psychological therapies for a range of mental health problems, including anxiety disorders. So far this research has focused on adults, but adolescents may be in a particularly strong position to benefit from these forms of therapy, being experienced users of internet resources. This research investigates the effectiveness of internet-based cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) in the treatment for anxiety disorders in adolescents. Recently we have piloted CBT for anxious children that combines clinic and internet therapy, with half the therapy sessions in the clinic and half over the internet. Pilot data show that clinic + internet therapy produced significant reductions in anxiety and is almost as effective full clinic-based therapy. The proposed research builds on our pilot work by evaluating the effectiveness of a more extensive internet-based therapy in which all sessions are completed using the internet and with an older age group. The research also examines the factors that predict which young people will respond most positively to the intervention so that the treatment can be matched to those most likely to benefit from it in the future. The aim is to develop an effective internet-based treatment for adolescents with anxiety disorders that is easily accessed and suitable for use in rural and remote populations, requiring minimal face-to-face therapist contact.Read moreRead less