Most practitioners have heard of THISWAYUP (TWU) a suite of evidence-based diagnosis-specific CBT courses that come from the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD) at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney and the University of NSW.
Most of the TWU courses consist of six to eight lessons spread over as many weeks. Courses involve education around specific diagnoses and cognitive behavioural approaches to management. They teach skills for users to apply in their daily lives to help them manage their symptoms of psychological distress. Because there is no money involved at present users can simply log on, complete the self-report questionnaire and choose the best course to suit their needs.
Added value comes from the fact that as a practitioner registered to prescribe and refer to THISWAYUP (you can do that via the clinician’s hub) you can watch the progress of your client/patient through the course and discuss it with them when you see them. You can also check to see whether they have engaged and you will be notified by TWU if their condition deteriorates. There is also a brief CBT course for GPs that is accessible through the clinician’s hub of the website.
You can find out about the research that supports the use of THISWAYUP on their website thiswayup.org.au/research and check out the courses on offer at thiswayup.org.au/courses
As engagement and adherence are the biggest issues for online therapy (rather than efficacy), it’s worth going the extra yard to persuade people of the value of doing the programs.
It’s also worth noting that THISWAYUP includes an excellent chronic pain management program developed by CRUfAD in collaboration with the Pain Clinic at St Vincent’s Hospital. It’s a terrific aid in our fight against opiate misuse. Just remember that to access the chronic pain course your patient/client will need a referral and this too can be done on the website.
For more information and training go to www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/emhprac