Does iCBT reduce healthcare costs and resource use in treatment of SAD?

The answer is yes. But we already knew that. At least we sort of did. MasterMind conducted economic analyses based on the data on implementation and effectiveness of the cCBT (aka iCBT) services deployed through the project and found favourable results. However, this recent study by El Alaoui, Hedman-Lagerlöf, Ljótsson, and Lindefors provides a cost-minimisation analysis conducted alongside a randomised controlled trial and concludes that iCBT is not only equally effective to cognitive behavioural group therapy in the treatment of SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder), but is also associated with more efficient staff utilisation and less costs.

Even though MasterMind has officially ended, the work to implement eMental health services across Europe hasn’t stopped and we are happy to see further studies supporting our aim: making high quality treatment for depression (and other mental health disorders) more widely available for anyone who might need them.