Ultrasis - serious holders

BTB - Wales - N.I.C.E.
some of you may remember this from last year - this is one of the N.I.C.E. test sites, as it says below - participating in a national audit on ‘Beating the Blues’ & it also covers SEVERE depression. before Xmas i decided to see if i could get an update from the people involved & spoke to Dr. Catherine Hurn ( now has a new name as she has married).
as you can see from the article this was a pilot for 1 year, THEY ARE SO IMPRESSED WITH BTB that they have extended it's use for 2- 3 years having obtained funding in June 03 , so what report do we think they will give to N.I.C.E.??
“Beating the Blues”
Tuesday, 25 June 2002
A new Trust service for people who suffer from moderate to severe depression or anxiety.

The Mental Health Directorate has just acquired the first computer based “Beating the Blues” Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) package in Wales, to help people with moderate to severe anxiety and depression. This has been developed by the Institute of Psychiatry (London) and a company called Ultrasis. Both the Newport and Monmouthshire Local Health Groups have contributed to the funding of this innovative scheme.
It is based on well-established CBT principles, and is an interactive, multi-media computer intervention, that helps people learn practical coping strategies during 8 one-hour sessions. “Beating the Blues” uses video material of real people to illustrate the various points and gives the impression that the patient is part of a ‘virtual’ depression/anxiety group.
The programme is interactive and individualised throughout, and as with face-to-face CBT, patients are required to complete homework tasks. Progress is monitored session by session, and both patients and their clinicians receive ongoing feedback.
The controlled research conducted on this package to date, has indicated that for many patients it is as effective as face-to-face CBT for anxiety and depression, and that a lot of people actually prefer the privacy and greater sense of control that the PC offers.
It is sited at our Community Mental Health Team Base at Goldtops in Newport, taking referrals from the Community Mental Health Teams in the Trust. It is expected to substantially reduce the very long waiting lists that currently exist for CBT. The service began to take referrals at the beginning of this month (June 02).
The Mental Health Directorate will be piloting this service for a year and is participating in a national audit on ‘Beating the Blues’. For more information, please contact our Clinical Psychologists, Dr Catherine Hurn (01633 786170) or Dr Bob Colter (01633 436724).


Torfaen Local Health Board.
Block C,
Mamhilad House,
Mamhilad Park Estate,
Pontypool
TORFAEN
NP4 0YP
Telephone Number: 01495 745868
Fax Number: 01495 765135