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Depression treatment is moving into cyberspace

Suicide and deliberate self harm is one of the six injury prevention priority areas of the New Zealand Injury Prevention Strategy. One of the key risk factors of suicide is the presence of mental illness, principally depression.An estimated 90 percent of people who have attempted or committed suicide had a diagnosable mental disorder at the time, with depression being the most commonly reported diagnosis. Depression is a common illness in New Zealand, with up to one in five women and one in ten men having experienced feeling depressed at some stage.

In an innovative and modern-day approach to injury prevention, the University of Otago's Injury Prevention Research Unit has developed a 'Recovery via Internet from Depression' (RID) trial, that uses cognitive behaviour therapy.

The trial is hoped to involve 700 participants by the end of 2007, and these participants will be divided into three groups. One of those groups will work through a four-week online programme, involving exercises and questions. The second group will receive help from an online health coach, and the third group will look at information on depression online.

The lead researcher of the trial, Dr Shyamala Nada-Raja says, "It focuses on people's thoughts, feelings and behaviour. It helps them overcome negative thought patterns and turn them around to more positive ways of dealing with life pressures."

At the conclusion of the programme, the research group will measure the three groups’ depression, self-harm, anxiety, quality of life and alcohol use at the end, compared to at the start of the programme, as well as assessing these factors again at six-monthly intervals over the following two years.

For more information on the RID Trial or to participate, see the Trial’s website (http://www.otago.ac.nz/rid/).

Citation: Information on depression and suicide from the Ministry of Health website and the New Zealand Health Information Service website. Information on the Trial from the Trial’s website