Making iCBT available in primary care settings: Bridging the gap between research and regular health care

Abstract

Research has proven Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) to be effective for some of our most common psychological and psychiatric problems, e.g., depression, social phobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety. These results derive mostly from studies outside a regular health-care setting, which raises the question of how effective this type of treatment would be in such a context. Integrating iCBT into regular care is a challenge that poses many questions about the method and its advantages and disadvantages, but we know firsthand that it can be a successful match. This is what my colleagues and I have learned in the 8-year process of bringing iCBT to where it’s most needed-into regular health care.