Beating the Blues - virtually

Ultrasis Beating the Blues™ utilises computer technology to deliver Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of anxiety and depression.

Beating the Blues is a cost effective and time efficient way of helping people suffering with anxiety and depression to get better and stay better.

Integrating best practice in psychological therapies with advanced multimedia software, Beating the Blues provides clinically proven, drug-free treatment which helps health service providers and occupational health professionals to identify and manage their caseload with motivating and engaging tools at the point of care. The programme was developed and evaluated in clinical randomized controlled trials by the Ultrasis team and Dr Judy Proudfoot at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London with her research colleagues: Professor Sir David Goldberg, Professor Jeffrey Gray, Professor Isaac Marks and Professor Anthony Mann.

Beating the Blues is an 8-session, practice-based, facilitated self-help treatment programme designed for use by patients with no previous computer experience. During the 8-session programme users identify specific problems and realistic treatment goals. They go on to work through 7 cognitive modules focusing of identifying and challenging automatic thoughts, thinking errors and distractions, core beliefs and attributional styles. Interwoven with these cognitive elements are problem directed behavioural components where patients work on any two of activity scheduling, problem solving, graded exposure, task breakdown or sleep management according to their specific problems. The final module looks at action planning and relapse prevention.

Beating the Blues utilizes a range of multimedia capabilities. It features a series of filmed case studies of fictional patients who are used to model both the symptoms of anxiety and depression and their treatment by cognitive behavioural therapy, as well as animations, voice-over and interactive modules.

Beating the Blues has been through significant independent clinical randomized control trials. The results of these trials, published in Psychological Medicine , demonstrate that Beating the Blues is an effective treatment for anxiety and depression, helping patients feel better for longer and be more able to live normal lives both at home and at work than those receiving traditional care. Patients using Beating the Blues benefit from 30 additional depression free-days in the 6 months after treatment.

Beating the Blues is used in 40 sites within National Health Service Primary Care Trusts, Community Mental Health Trusts and specialist CBT services as a treatment option for anxiety and depression, and is now being offered in the United States.

For more information please contact Ultrasis on 0207 600 6777. To see a flash presentation