New trial offers free online therapy for depression

The trial provides free online cognitive behavioural therapy for people who suffer with moderate to severe depression. Cognitive behavioural therapy focuses on how people perceive things in their lives – including thoughts, beliefs and attitudes – and identifies how these can have an impact on behaviour and emotion.

Supported by online guidance from a trained psychological wellbeing practitioner, the treatment is open to participants from all over the world. People with good English language skills who are experiencing different levels of depression but who are not currently receiving psychotherapy can take part.

If you are interested in receiving internet cognitive behavioural therapy, go to the online mood screener, which assesses and gives feedback on level of depression, and checks suitability for the study.

https://mdcdepressionscreening.ex.ac.uk

Professor Ed Watkins from the Mood Disorders Centre at the University of Exeter said: “We are keen to encourage members of the public to come forward and participate in this study. Previous research has shown that cognitive behaviour therapy over the internet can successfully reduce depression. We now want to find out exactly how it works so that we can work to improve the treatment and make it more readily available to a wider range of people with depression.”

The Wellcome funded IMPROVE trial provides free and open access online therapy for people with depression. The trial is conducted by the University of Exeter’s Mood Disorders Centre. The centre conducts psychological research, assessment, treatment and training for the benefit of people who suffer from depression.

For further information about the research study contact

Dr Lexy Newbold
Research fellow for the IMPROVE trial
a.newbold@exeter.ac.uk