Recruitment for study underway to help people with depression in the South West
A new innovative research study called IMPROVE-2 (Implementing Multifactorial Psychotherapy Research in Online Virtual Environments -2) is being conducted by the University of Exeter to improve the therapy for people with depression.
The study, which is funded by the SW AHSN and Cornwall Partnership Foundation NHS Trust, aims to better understand the active ingredients of cognitive-behavioural therapy for depression delivered via the internet, to make therapy for depression more effective, briefer, more acceptable to patients and more widely available.
The study is now recruiting individuals with depression across the South West region. All eligible participants who consent to take part in the study are then allocated by chance to a version of internet cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), supported by a trained psychological practitioner through secure written feedback.
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy is an effective treatment for depression, recommended by the NICE guidelines, but there is scope to further improve it. By comparing different versions of the therapy, they can determine the active ingredients and thereby build a better therapy.
Participating in the study is a means for participants to obtain free CBT from the comfort of their own home and concurrently help others.
The IMPROVE-2 team are calling for people with depression themselves to register, or to General Practitioners and professional groups, such as mental health professionals – to point people with depression to self-register to the study.
People living in Cornwall /with a Cornwall GP, can participate in the study, by self-referring to BEME, the psychological therapies service of Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust. Alternatively they can be contacted via email: beme@nhs.net or by calling: 01579 373700 – requesting internet cognitive-behavioural therapy. Cornwall based healthcare professionals can also directly refer patients through the same routes.
For all other parts of the South West (e.g., Devon, Somerset), individuals can apply for the study here. For more information about the study or to answer any questions, please telephone 01326 253769 or email IMPROVE2@exeter.ac.uk.
