Low intensity CBT
Specialized interest group on low intensity CBT
Chair: Paul Rijnders, representative Dutch Association of CBT; author of: Kortdurende Psychologische Interventies (Brief Psychological Interventions for the First Line)
About 7% of the population in Europe suffers from serious mental health problems (DSM-classification) of long duration, leading to their experiencing difficulties engaging in work or other meaningful activities, personal relationships, social roles or education.Although people in general express a desire for treatment, less than half of this group accesses mental health services. The majority do not get treatment appropriate to their problem.Due to many different reasons (for example budget reductions for mental health services) this situation is expected to get worse in the future, leading to a huge impact for sufferers, their families and for society.
In some countries (CBT associations) experience and evidence is accumulating that CBT can provide one potential solution to this problem. In the UK, low intensity (LI) CBT has proved to be a good tool to improve access to psychological treatment. In the Netherlands, brief CBT, implemented in partnership with the GP improves access and reduces the investment in time, needed to reach therapeutic results with more than 20 %.
Under the wings of the EABCT, representatives of several associations have taken the initiative to start a special interest group on LI, or brief CBT.
This LinkedIn forum is the first step to disseminate knowledge and practice for LI or brief CBT, and to raise funds for these activities in order to stimulate and finance research in this area of CBT.
This initiative started in the Netherlands (Paul Rijnders, Pim Cuijpers, Annemieke van Straten) and in the UK (David Richards, Paul Farrand, Helen MacDonald). There is support from the Flemish (Belgian) association (Els Heene), Italy (Giovanni Ruggiero), Sweden (Bjorn Paxling), Germany (Thomas Heidenreich) and Norway (Solfrid Raknes).
Find the SIG on LI CBT on LinkedIn to share this initiative and take part in further development.