Mental Health Online (formerly Anxiety Online) - PTSD Online

Description:

Mental Health Online offers information, assessment, online diagnosis and treatment programs for a range of anxiety disorders. After registration online, a comprehensive online psychological assessment (e-PASS) is carried out, which assesses for a range of mental health disorders. From this assessment, appropriate treatment options are recommended, which may include one of the Mental Health Online programs such as PTSD Online. A free self-help program will be recommended in the case of mild symptoms, while a fee based therapist-assisted program will be recommended for moderate to severe symptoms. PTSD Online is an interactive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) program and includes psycho-educational information about anxiety, stress, and trauma; anxiety management content including instructions and video/audio on controlled breathing and progressive muscle relaxation; cognitive management including instructions and exercises on how to challenge and change cognitive processes which contribute to PTSD, exposure therapy and relapse prevention. The program lasts for 12 weeks, with one module being completed each week. The therapist-assisted version of the program includes contact by email with a trained therapist. The self-help program does not include any therapist contact. After completion of the program, follow-up assessments are carried out 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). With weekly modules completed over 12 weeks

Support Option:

Clinical support. Available in the therapist assisted program option

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Post traumatic stress disorder.

Target Audience:

Adult.

Language:

English.

Access

Fee:

Fee-based. The therapist-assisted program costs $120 for 12 weeks. The self-help program is free.

Access:

Open: With registration.

Contact Details:

contactus@mentalhealthonline.org.au

Research evidence

Research Trials:

2

Research RCTs:

0

Outcome Summary:

The effectiveness of the Mental Health Online - PTSD Online has been evaluated in two studies. Firstly, a version of PTSD Online comprising of 10 modules was tested in an open trial, which found significant improvements on participants' PTSD severity ratings and related PTSD symptomatology at post-assessment. These improvements were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Subsequently, each of the five Anxiety Online programs - including PTSD Online - were evaluated in a study that provided further support for the efficacy of this program. In this second study PTSD Online was completed by 30 participants and post assessments revealed significant improvements in relation to PTSD clinical disorder severity ratings (d=.72, p=.02), the total number of PTSD diagnoses (d=.85, p<.003), confidence levels in managing one's own mental health (d=1.08, p<.001), general psychological distress levels (d =.95, p=.001) and quality of life (d=.96, p=.001). Therefore, such findings do indeed suggest that PTSD Online is an effective treatment for PTSD, but further research using a control group is required.

Recommended rating, reviewer 1:

Recommended rating, reviewer 2:

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Research paper citations

Efficacy Studies

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.

Klein, B., et al. (2010). A therapist-assisted cognitive behavior therapy internet intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder: pre-, post- and 3-month follow-up results from an open trial. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 24(6), 635-644.

Additional References

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.

Klein, B., et al. (2009). A therapist-assisted internet-based CBT intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder: Preliminary results. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 38(2), 121-131.