W03-04 - The use of internet in the treatment of depression in general practice (ICBT in GP)

• Published in: European psychiatry Vol. 26; p. 2197
• Main Authors: Kolstrup, N, Eisemann, M, Waterloo, K.K, Risør, M.B, Høifødt, R.S, Lillevoll, K, Lintvedt, O.K.K, Wilhelmsen, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier SAS 2011
• Subjects: Internal Medicine; Psychiatry
• ISSN: 0924-9338; 1778-3585
• DOI: 10.1016/S0924-9338(11)73900-1

ICBT in GP is a joint project between General Practice Research Unit and the Research Group of Mental E-Health at the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Norway. In Norway the yearly incidence of depression is 7% and rapidly increasing. Two thirds of the patients experiences recurrence within 10 years. The yearly treatment costs of depression is 200 millions Euros. The burden on specialist health care is heavy with waiting lists of 3 to 6 months. The Norwegian Directorate of Health recommends that patients with mild to moderate depression should be treated in General Practice (GP). Self help programs should be introduced in the treatment. The aim of the present project is to develop a strategy whereby general practitioners will use the internet as a treatment option for mild to moderate depression and to measure the effect of this treatment. We will use the internet-based self help program MoodGYM. The program has five treatment and evaluation modules. MoodGYM reduces symptoms of depression, but few patients complete all modules. If patients have a consultation with their GP between each module, they may be more motivated to fulfil the program. In addition, MoodGYM provides the GP with a tool to evaluate the severity of symptoms. The presentation will focus on the economic and structural properties facilitating the use of internet in treatment of depressed patients in GP.