Therapy on your iPad or iPhone

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	Chris Ludlow

Date: 08 July 2010

Help for depression could be found in your pocket with a new study from Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

Psychologist and doctoral researcher Chris Ludlow, from the QUT Faculty of Health, has made a series of videos that can be downloaded onto iPads and iPhones or mailed by DVD to help prepare people for counselling and therapy sessions to help treat depression.

Mr Ludlow developed the videos to help people get the most out of their therapy sessions.

"People who have not received counselling or therapy before often don't know what to expect," Mr Ludlow said.

"They may think therapy is about showing up and having a chat, but there is more to it than that."

Mr Ludlow is searching for people who suffer depression to test the effectiveness of the videos, which are designed to prepare people for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

"This video is designed to really explain what CBT is all about," he said.

"People may not realise that they are not going to be cured after the first session - they may need 10 to 20 sessions.

"They may also not know that there are going to be tasks for them to carry out between sessions. In CBT, people need to be actively engaged in exercises outside therapy to help them get better."

Mr Ludlow said it was hoped the video, which would be shown to people during the course of treatment, would reduce drop-out rates and improve uptake of therapy.

People interested in helping the study can contact Mr Ludlow on 0417 747 924.

Media contact: Rachael Wilson, QUT media officer, 07 3138 1150 or rachael.wilson@qut.edu.au.

Content sourced from QUT News Web Service.