Online CBT is no more effective than usual GP care for depression

> despite regular calls to encourage participants to use the programmes

People aren't going to use it if it sucks or isn't giving them value. I looked into Beating the Blues a while ago - it's not exactly a great experience. Being reminded just isn't enough.

> Can an app do a substantially better job than books?

I think so.

Books are passive content that you consume in your own time. And, it certainly is helpful. But an app can do so much more towards offering a much richer, more engaging experience. But - and this is crucial - you have to get it right. And I think it is MUCH easier to get a book right, than an app. A book is just the content - an app is a manifestation of that content; if the book could talk, what would it say? ask? how would it do it and how often?

We'll see. My side project is to scratch some CBT & behavioral itches I have had with an app. I could be entirely wrong, but I wont know till I finish and see if it is of use for me.

Is beating the blues free? Is it any good? I mean, you seem to say it's not too good, but it has to be of any use... No?

The original title is "Online cognitive behavioural therapy is no more effective than usual GP care for people with depression" which by no means is the same as the title here because CBT, ahem, has other meanings. Sorry.

I can recommend:

1. Mindful meditation [free] -> Daily practice (30+ minutes)

John Kabat-Zinn [0] masters the link between science and meditation and has published very valuable books (including guided/audio meditation exercises) [1]. There are a couple of scientific studies which prove effectiveness [2] [3].

2. LSD [$5-10/dose + $25/multi-use test kit] -> One-time experience (every 6 months max.)

Benefits (mid- and long-term) are similar to those of meditation. It however requires one to literally read/understand/know everything about the substance before applying it (minimum literature: "The psychedelic explorer's guide" by Fadiman). Also, order a test kit and test before you ingest. Certain "edge cases"/people should not try it. In addition, you may be able to access your spiritual dimension, which increases quality of life even further (it is less immediate with meditation).

You may combine micro-dosing LSD with meditation for accessing the meditative state easier (it's quite a challenge for depressed people).

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Kabat-Zinn

[1] https://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4180277/Mindful_Way_Through...

[2] http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/01/eight-weeks-to...

[3] http://www.vox.com/2015/8/27/9214697/meditation-brain-neuros...

"is no more effective than usual"

Hm, interesting phrasing.

Is this another way of saying "was found to be just as effective as the more expensive standard treatment"?

> There was no significant difference between usual GP care, Beating the Blues plus usual care, or MoodGYM plus usual care at four, 12 or 24 months.

No significant difference, so it's every bit as good.

> CBT delivered online or via a computer was thought to offer a potential low-cost alternative.

And it costs less.

So yes, they found it is less expensive and works just as well as the standard treatment, but choose to phrase it in a way to indicate the study had failed by saying "is no more effective" which misleadingly implies it might be less effective, rather than the more accurate "is just as effective", which is more clear and accurate given that there was "no significant difference".