Online therapy set to help with chronic pain
FRASER WILSON
A new form of online therapy aimed at dealing with chronic pain and diabetes is now available to NHS Lanarkshire patients.
The health board were last week successful in their efforts to become part of the cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) pilot.
Funded by NHS 24, ‘SilverCloud’ is a new computerised CBT programme being used to provide computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT).
The psycho-social intervention programme aims to improve mental health, focusing on challenging and changing unhelpful cognitive distortions and behaviors.
Dr Laura Telky, counselling psychologist and clinical lead for the project, said: “The SilverCloud cCBT online programme will increase access to evidence-based treatments through the use of online technology.
“Patients can access this anywhere at any time to reduce the symptoms of low mood and anxiety.”
It is now available for those with mild-to-moderate symptoms of low mood and/ or anxiety associated with type one and type two diabetes or chronic pain.
It is also suitable for those who have co-morbid long-term health conditions. The general recommendations of SilverCloud use are 40 minutes per week, over a six to eight week period – typically spending 1015 minutes on the programme, three or four times a week.
The pilot programme has been rolled out to psychological therapy teams, community mental health teams as well as general practitioners across Lanarkshire, with the aim of reaching a target of 335 referrals within the next 12 months.
To find out more, head to www.elament.org.uk/selfhelp-resources/silvercloudcbt-programme/