Psychiatr. praxi. 2024;25(1):22-31 | DOI: 10.36290/psy.2024.003

Online interventions for individuals with symptoms of depression

PhDr. Marie Ocisková, Ph.D.^{1, 2, 5}, prof. MUDr. Ján Praško, CSc.^1-5, Jelena Holomany, Msc.⁵

¹ Klinika psychiatrie, Lékařská fakulta, Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc

² Jessenia, a. s. - Rehabilitační nemocnice Beroun, AKESO holding, Beroun

³ Katedra psychologických vied, Fakulta sociálnych vied a zdravotníctva, Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa v Nitre, Slovenská republika

⁴ Katedra psychoterapie, IPVZ Praha

⁵ Mindwalk, s. r. o., Praha

Depressive disorder is a common mental disorder. A considerable part of the patients does not receive adequate therapy. The main reasons are the low availability of treatment and fear of stigmatisation. Online therapeutic programs reduce these barriers in many Western countries, such as Sweden, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States. These programs present efficacious and cost-effective help for individuals with mild and moderate symptoms of depression. They are usually based on principles of cognitive behavioural therapy and psychoeducation and offer interactive content and help from a trained therapist. Purely self-guided programs are also efficacious. However, the guided programs seem more effective. The United Kingdom and several other countries have a rich tradition of researching these programs and integrating them into the stepped care and the guidelines. Until recently, Czech patients did not have the option to access such programs in their mother tongue. The Czech platform Mindwell offers an online CBT program for individuals with mild and moderate symptoms of depression. This program has 12 modules that systematically develop individual online strategies effective for alleviating depressive symptoms. The team finishes a feasibility study, and an effective analysis will follow.

Keywords: major depression, e­‑health, e­‑therapy, online psychoeducation, cognitive behavioural therapy.

Accepted: March 25, 2024; Published: March 28, 2024  Show citation