E-therapy for adults – “Beating the Blues”
Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (cCBT) supports mental health interventions in primary care to teach people cognitive behavioural techniques for dealing with mild to moderate mental health issues.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is an effective psychological therapy that helps people to critically evaluate the way their thoughts (cognitions) and behaviours (how they act and react to situations/events and the coping strategies they use) can influence their mood and the way they feel.
The Ministry provides funding for the provision of cCBT e-therapy for adults with mild to moderate mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
“Beating the Blues”, an eight week treatment programme, was chosen as the e-therapy tool for national roll-out from February 2011.
A patient’s GP will enrol the patient for this e-therapy tool and the programme is free to primary care practitioners and their patients. GPs who have enrolled a patient in “Beating the Blues” will receive progress reports and risk alerts as the patient works through the eight week programme.
Further information on this e-therapy tool is available on the Beating the Blues New Zealand website http://www.beatingtheblues.co.nz/