Many people suffer with anxiety symptoms, such as feeling shy or anxious in social situations. Could online self-help programs provide the tools for them to manage their mental health?
For the many people who don’t meet the criteria for a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder but who still face ongoing anxiety every day, online tools could present a major source of relief.
After all, they’re cost-effective, accessible and can be used whenever and wherever people choose. But do they work?
Professor John Powell and his team are exploring that question in one of the first large-scale randomised trials of an online psychological treatment.
Working with more than 1,000 people who live with anxiety, John and his team are looking at the effectiveness of E-Couch, an online psychological tool based on cognitive behavioural therapy principles.
Developed by researchers at the Australian National University, E-Couch includes modules on:
E-Couch takes up to six weeks to complete. After that time, participants will be assessed for 12 months, with our team studying:
Huge numbers of people face the symptoms of anxiety every day – from difficulty sleeping to a constant sense of dread.
This study will help us to understand more about the value and limitations of self-help for people who find themselves in this situation. And it will enable us to see whether the E-Couch tool can provide effective and lasting relief.
Professor John Powell is Associate Professor at the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. He specialises in investigating how technology can be used to improve health and health services.
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