New online program to treat depression

by Rich Bowden - Jun 4 2009, 07:30

A new Australian online mental health program has been found to be as effective as traditional face-to-face methods when treating illnesses such as depression.

The initiative, known as the Sadness program, is led by Professor Gavin Andrews from the University of New South Wales' (UNSW) School of Psychiatry, and relies on an average treatment time of only 111 minutes of clinician e-mail contact per person over an eight-week period.

The online program compares well with the time taken for other comparable clinician-based therapies, said a university statement.

“The results will come as a surprise to many people who believed internet-based programs wouldn’t work in treating depression,” said Professor Andrews.

“We knew that the internet was successful at treating social phobias and other anxiety disorders but these conditions are, in many ways, low-hanging fruit,” he added. “It was assumed that depression would be more difficult because of the lack of motivation usually associated with the illness... But that simply wasn’t the case.”

The study -- published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry -- showed how 45 people undergoing treatment for depression at St. Vincents Hospital were picked for the program, which asked them to complete six online lessons and weekly homework assignments.

The patients had weekly e-mail contact with a clinical psychologist and contributed to a moderated online forum with other participants where they could share their views.

Following the program, 34 percent of the participating patients had advanced to the stage where they were no longer considered to be suffering from depression, a similar result as to that garnered through face-to-face contact with clinicians.

Professor Andrews said the results showed the convenience of the Internet had the potential to break down barriers for the mentally ill and called for further testing into online-based programs to treat such illnesses as depression.

“The internet program is convenient,” he said. “People can use it when they need to, without having to make an appointment or leave the house. Participants were logging in at 1am.”

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To see the online therapy program visit the program website.

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