IAPT and the internet: the current and future role of therapist-guided internet interventions within routine care settings

Journal article

Compared with the traditional face-to-face format, therapist-guided internet interventions offer a different approach to supporting clients in learning skills to manage and overcome mental health difficulties. Such interventions are already in use within IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) and other routine care settings, but given their potential to deliver treatment more efficiently and therefore increase availability and access to evidence-based interventions, their use is likely to increase significantly over the coming years. This article outlines what is meant by therapist-guided internet interventions and why an online format is thought to be advantageous for clients, therapists, services, and communities more broadly. It reviews the current evidence in the context of common therapist beliefs about internet-based treatment. It aims to identify gaps where further research is required, particularly in relation to the broader implementation of these treatments in IAPT and other routine clinical services. Specifically, it emphasises the importance of choosing the right programmes, providing adequate therapist training in their use, and considering practical and organisational issues, all of which are likely to determine the success of implementation efforts.

Authors: Thew, G

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Journal: Cognitive Behaviour Therapist More from this journal
• Volume: 13
• Article number: e4
• Publication date: 2020-04-08
• Acceptance date: 2020-01-30
• DOI: 10.1017/S1754470X20000033
• ISSN: 1754-470X
• Language: English
• Keywords: FFR; therapist training; IAPT; digital psychological therapy; dissemination; internet interventions; implementation