Mental Health Online (formerly Anxiety Online) - Panic Stop!

Description:

The Mental Health Online program provides information, assessment and treatment for a range of anxiety disorders. After registration online, an online assessment 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 are 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 Panic Stop! program providing information about panic and help monitoring it, relaxation training, help evaluating and correcting thinking errors, imagined and real exposure, and help maintaining improvements in the future. After program completion, 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). 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:

Panic disorder.

Target Audience:

Adult.

Language:

English.

Access

Fee:

Free. Free for the self-help version, fee-based for the support of an eTherapist

Access:

Open: With registration.

Contact Details:

contactus@mentalhealthonline.org.au

Research evidence

Research Trials:

1

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 Panic Stop! program was completed by 40 participants and post assessments revealed significant improvements in relation to panic disorder clinical severity ratings (d=1.12, p<.001), the total number of panic disorder diagnoses (d=.45 p=.055), confidence levels in managing one's own mental health (d=.75, p=.002) and general psychological distress levels (d=.81, p=.001). These findings provide some evidence in support of the efficacy of the Panic Stop! program. 

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Research paper citations

Efficacy Study

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.

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.