INTERACT: Therapist Survey and Delphi study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Informing the Development of Online CBT Materials for an Integrated Approach to Delivering CBT
IRAS ID
198271
Contact name
Birgit Whitman
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 1 days
Research summary
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for depression. Substantial investment in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services (http://www.iapt.nhs.uk/) has increased provision of brief, low intensity interventions in England. However, substantial variation in the provision of high intensity CBT treatments remains.
CBT-based computerised interventions (cCBT) were designed to make CBT widely available at low cost and have often been delivered as low intensity interventions with minimal or no practitioner support. However, engagement with cCBT is poor and, in the absence of therapist support, effects are modest and short-term.
Given the substantial funding gap facing the NHS (£30 billion by 2020), an innovative approach to address the current gap in provision of high intensity CBT is needed. Innovative use of technological developments and integration of online materials into therapy could offer increased efficiency, reduce costs, and widen access to populations that are difficult-to-reach (for example, those who are disabled or have difficulty attending appointments for other reasons), whilst maintaining the long-term effectiveness of CBT delivered by high intensity therapists.
The overarching aim of our NIHR funded programme grant is to develop and evaluate a new intervention that will integrate the use of online CBT materials with therapist led CBT for depression. Our intervention will blend high intensity therapy with innovative use of technology to maintain effectiveness of face-to-face CBT. It will increase the general availability of CBT and include groups for whom access is difficult (those in full-time employment/living in remote areas/with caring responsibilities and hard-to-reach groups).
The first work-stream in our 6-year programme focuses on the development of the IT platform and online CBT materials that will comprise the intervention. This intervention will, at a later stage, be evaluated in terms of clinical and cost-effectiveness, as well as acceptability.
REC name
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REC reference
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