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Internet-Delivered Program for Depression Meets 'Gold Standard' in Effectiveness
[November 19, 2015]

Internet-Delivered Program for Depression Meets 'Gold Standard' in Effectiveness


SilverCloud Health, a global provider of behavioral and mental wellness online solutions, in collaboration with the School of Psychology, Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland recently published the results from a large national trial of the internet-delivered Space from Depression program.

SilverCloud Health's online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) program, Space from Depression, was developed to target the symptoms of low mood and depression. It is used widely across the National Health Service in the U.K., Ireland and the U.S. by a number of leading providers and services.

The study results published in Behavior Research and Therapy provides clinical evidence for the Space from Depression program - delivered in conjunction with trained supporters. The study found that by the end of treatment, more than 50 percent of participants were observed to either be in remission and/or recovered from their symptoms, which were maintained at three- and six-month follow ups. The study suggests significant implications for treatment delivery and accessibility.

"Along with the positive outcomes reported for depression, this study also highlights the possibilities for innovation in health service delivery," says Dr. Derek Richards, Director of Clinical Research and Innovation at SilverCloud Health and Research Fellow at the School Psychology at TCD. "Internet-delivered interventions including Space for Depression are now being delivered in primary care settings as a stepped care approach. Effective evidence-based programs can reduce barriers to treatment access such as waiting lists offering benefit to healthcare providers and reducing costs of delivering quality care."

Results highlights

  • Significant improvements for those who used the program with statistically significant changes from what is considered the threshold of clinical depression symptoms (>14 on the Beck Depression Inventor). Positive changes were maintained at six months post-treatment.
  • Significant reduction in comorbid symptoms of anxiety maintained at six months post-treatment.
  • An improvement in work and social functioning, from pre-treatment to post-treatment with continued improvement over time.



Within healthcare, a randomized controlled trial is considered to be the gold standard in research design when assessing the effectiveness of a treatment or intervention. One of the study's principal investigators, Dr. Ladislav Timulak at the School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin said, "RCTs help to shape healthcare policies, ensuring the highest standards of quality and care for patients."

Although parity of esteem between mental and physical health has been a high profile political issue, difficulties in accessing evidence-based treatments for mental health remain. The worldwide treatment gap in depression has been estimated at 56.3 percent while depression affects nearly one in six people in the U.S.


Mental health is one of the major problems of our time with one in two Americans experiencing a mental health issue in their lifetime. The overall economic cost is also quite staggering with $63 billion estimated loss of productivity in the workplace. While the problem is staggering the challenges facing those who are providing and accessing care are also overwhelming in terms of resourcing and cost; one in five people needing mental health services report not being able to access care.

Space from Depression has been designed to provide therapeutic treatment for individuals experiencing mild to moderate depression and anxiety. It features an eight-module treatment which users access at their convenience and complete at their own pace. The online program is available 24/7, and users also have access to trained online supporters who are available to provide ongoing guidance.

About SilverCloud Health

SilverCloud Health is a leading provider of online therapeutic solutions to support and promote positive behavior change and mental wellness. Our aim is to meet the key market need to increase reach, lower cost, and provide effective care. We've spent over ten years researching and building SilverCloud. Starting as a seven-year research project at Trinity College Dublin before becoming a three-year translational research project undertaken jointly by The NDRC (National Digital Research Center), Trinity College Dublin, and Parents Plus, Mater University Hospital in Ireland. As a company we continue to build relationships with leaders in their field to ensure our programs, content, and platform are engaging, effective, and informed with the most up-to-date thinking and technology. SilverCloud Health has a solid investor base including DBIC, Investec, Enterprise Ireland (News - Alert), and NDRC.

For more information on SilverCloud Health visit: www.silvercloudhealth.com.


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