Mental Health Online (formerly Anxiety Online) - GAD Online

Description:

The Mental Health Online program provides information, assessment and treatment for a range of anxiety disorders. After registration online, an online assessment (e-PASS) is completed to determine the type and severity of anxiety being experienced, as well as other disorders such as depression. From this assessment, appropriate treatment options will be recommended, which may include one of the Mental Health Online programs.  These comprise 12 weekly modules and have two forms: a free self-help program for mild cases and a therapist-assisted program for moderate to severe cases (for a fee). The latter includes email contact with an eTherapist. The programs use CBT techniques, with the GAD program providing information about anxiety, relaxation training, and help with challenging thoughts, coping with worry, changing behaviours such as avoidance, lifestyle factors and maintaining gains. After completion of the program there are follow-up assessments once per year for five years to monitor progress.

Service URL:

https://www.mentalhealthonline.org.au/

Agency Responsible:

National eTherapy Centre, Swinburne University of Technology.

Details

Format:

Website.

Intervention Type:

Psychological – CBT.

Course Length:

Long (more than 5 modules). Comprising weekly modules for 12 weeks

Support Option:

Clinical support. Available for fee-paying program as well as a free self-help program

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Generalised anxiety disorder.

Target Audience:

Adult.

Language:

English.

Access

Fee:

Free. Free for the self-help version, fee-based for the program involving support from an eTherapist

Access:

Open: With registration.

Contact Details:

contactus@mentalhealthonline.org.au

Research evidence

Research Trials:

2

Research RCTs:

0

Outcome Summary:

The effectiveness of the different Mental Health Online programs have been evaluated in one study.  Participants were offered one of five programs, depending on their reported symptoms.  The GAD program was completed by 88 participants and post assessments revealed significant improvements in relation to GAD clinical disorder severity ratings (d=1.22, p<.001), the total number of GAD diagnoses (d=.89, p<.001), confidence levels in managing one's own mental health (d=.77, p<.001), general psychological distress levels (d = 1.16, p<.001) and quality of life (d=.36, p=.02). In an open trial in Canada n=107 patients from a clinical sample were assigned to the GAD program from Mental Health Online. A significant reduction in generalised anxiety symptoms was seen, with a within group effect size of 1.07. Therefore, there is some evidence in support of the efficacy of the GAD program.  

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Research paper citations

Klein, B., Meyer, D., Austin, D.W., Kyrios, M. (2011)  Anxiety Online - A virtual clinic: preliminary outcomes following completion of five fully automated treatment programs for anxiety disorders and symptoms.  Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13 (4): e89.

AL-Asadi, A.M., Klein, B., & Meyer, D. (2014). Posttreatment Attrition and Its Predictors, Attrition Bias, and Treatment Efficacy of the Anxiety Online Programs. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(10): e232. 

AL-Asadi, A.M., Klein, B., & Meyer, D. (2014). Pretreatment Attrition and Formal Withdrawal During Treatment and Their Predictors: An Exploratory Study of the Anxiety Online Data. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(6): e152.

Hadjistavropoulos, H. D., Pugh, N. E., Nugent, M. M., Hesser, H., Andersson, G., Ivanov, M., ... & Austin, D. W. (2014). Therapist-assisted Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy for depression and anxiety: translating evidence into clinical practice. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 28(8), 884-893.

Hadjistavropoulos, H. D., Pugh, N. E., Hesser, H., & Andersson, G. (2016). Predicting response to therapist-assisted internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy for depression or anxiety within an open dissemination trial. Behavior Therapy, 47(2), 155-165.

Hadjistavropoulos, H. D., Pugh, N. E., Hesser, H., & Andersson, G. (2017). Therapeutic Alliance in Internet‐Delivered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Depression or Generalized Anxiety. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 24(2), 451-461.