Interapy - Panic (Netherlands)

Description:

Interapy provides therapist-assisted cognitive behavioural (CBT) treatment of panic symptoms. The treatment is based on common CBT strategies for panic disorder, such as psychoeducation, awareness training, applied relaxation, cognitive restructuring and exposure techniques. The program also includes homework assignments and scheduled therapeutic sessions, in which assignments are explained and tailored to the user. There are 7 modules which are worked through over approximately 11 weeks. Module 1 focuses on awareness of panic symptoms, whereby panic attacks are explained as the result of a cyclic process and users are asked to do two writing assignments in which they describe two past panic attacks in the light of this explanation. In module 2, users learn to keep a panic diary, in which they describe their thoughts and bodily sensations following each panic attack, and in which they rate the intensity of fear on a 10-point scale. Module 3 teaches a breathing retraining exercise and a progressive relaxation exercise with tension-release of the muscles. Module 4 educates about different forms of exposure and instructs users to seek out the situations in which they expect to suffer a panic attack. Module 5 is about the role of automatic negative thoughts and the principles of cognitive restructuring. In module 6, transfer of change is implemented by reducing the frequency of therapist feedback. In a two-week period, clients do at least two exposure assignments, without any contact with the therapist. In module 7, users reflect on symptoms that might signal relapse.

Service URL:

http://www.interapy.nl/behandelingen/paniek/index.html

Agency Responsible:

Interapy Netherlands BV.

Details

Format:

Website.

Intervention Type:

Psychological – CBT.

Course Length:

Long (more than 5 modules). Comprises 7 treatment modules taking about 11 weeks to complete

Support Option:

Clinical support.

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Panic disorder.

Target Audience:

Adult.

Language:

Dutch.

Access

Fee:

Free. Only in the Netherlands under the Health Insurance Act - if you are insured in the Netherlands you need a referral from a doctor to use the program. If you are deemed eligible for the program you will be fully reimbursed, minus any insurance excess that might be payable

Access:

Open: With registration.

Contact Details:

info@interapy.nl

Research evidence

Research Trials:

1

Research RCTs:

1

Outcome Summary:

The efficacy of Interapy's treatment for panic has been tested in one randomised controlled trial (RCT). Participants in the trial were randomly allocated to receive either the 11-week treatment immediately, or were allocated to a wait-list control group. Participants in the treatment group improved significantly more than the participants in the wait-list control group, with a between group effect size of d = .7, indicating that the treatment had a moderate to large effect on panic symptoms. Treated participants were six times more likely to experience a reduction in panic attacks of at least 50%. Effects were even more pronounced after three years, but these long term effects cannot be attributed to the treatment alone, as the three year follow-up study was uncontrolled

Recommended rating, reviewer 1:

Recommended rating, reviewer 2:

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Research paper citations

Efficacy studies:

1. Ruwaard, J., Broeksteeg, J., Schrieken, B., Emmelkamp, P., Lange, A. (2010). Web-based therapist-assisted cognitive behavioral treatment of panic symptoms: a randomized controlled trial with a three-year follow-up. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 24, 387–396.