http://goo.gl/acglyk
Online programmes such as the Life Skills programme increase the ability to address a much wider audience while achieving the same quality of service as face-to-face treatments, providing an approximate increase of 6-fold in terms of service capacity. Participants use the programme for eight weeks, with the support of weekly reviews from their designated Aware-trained supporter, who provides encouragement, feedback and guidance.
The researchers at TCD began last January to recruit participants for a randomised controlled trial, the gold standard in research. The aim of which was to evaluate the effectiveness of the online intervention in improving symptoms of depression and quality of life.
The results indicated significant improvement for those who used the programme with over 70% moving to below the threshold of clinical depression symptoms (<14) on the Beck Depression Inventory. While those who did not have access experienced no significant improvements. In terms of service provision those who had access to programme demonstrated the same results that one would expect to see in a similar face-to-face trial with clinicians.