InterPsyk: A case study of the practical organisation and implementation of iCBT in five European countries

Even though depression and anxiety are serious and prevalent disorders with high costs for the individual and for society, only about half of those in need of treatment in Europe are in any contact with the formal health care system. Internet based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) is a promising format of delivery of evidence based psychotherapy and could thus be an important contribution to bridging the large gap between need and supply. However, implementing iCBT into routine practice has proven difficult. The present study aims to carefully describe the implementation of iCBT in five countries in order to uncover best practices in relation to composition of services, organisation, implementation and financial sustainability of different iCBT services. The method used is a comparative multiple case study performed in two phases: the first will include Denmark (as pilot) and Sweden (June through August 2016). The second phase will include The Netherlands, Norway, and Scotland (September through October 2016). The study protocol and preliminary data will be presented. The project collaborates with a research team from Stockholm University led by Viktor Kaldo and the EU project MasterMind. It is funded by the Danish foundation TrygFonden.