About the Program
Welcome and congratulations on taking the first step towards getting more of the life you want!
This internet-based CBT program has been developed to help you overcome the depression and anxiety that you are experiencing, whether such problems are new, or have been with you for some time. Over the next few weeks, you will learn how your thoughts and feelings influence your behaviours and get in the way of living your life freely. You will discover strategies to examine your thoughts and assess if you are interpreting a given situation appropriately. You will practice ways to recognize and counter negative thoughts, emotions and behaviours that can help to maintain your depression and anxiety. You will also be guided on how to engage in situations that you might usually avoid because they are stressful, to improve your tolerance of them. Finally, you will learn how to recognize signs of relapse and what to do to help prevent it.
What to Expect
The Lessons
There are 11 modules or lessons for you to work through, and they include many real-life examples to help you to understand the lesson content in context. However, you will not be able to access all the modules at the same time. The first couple of modules will be released to you after you have signed up as a member of the site, and subsequent ones will be released as you complete the previous lesson(s) and homework.
The general timeline for both release and completion of modules is as follows:
| Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 |
| Modules 1 and 2 | Modules 3 | Modules 4 | Modules 5 | Modules 6 | Modules 7 | Modules 8 | Modules 9 and 10 | Modules 11 |
The Homework
Each module also has a homework component. Don’t worry, it’s not graded! The intention of these assignments is to help you to apply concepts covered in the lesson to your everyday life. But, the more you practice the homework, the more likely that you’ll achieve your goals.
The Worksheets
Each lesson also contains forms related to its content. There will be some forms that you will use just once and others that you will be asked to complete almost daily, as part of your homework. All forms referenced in the lessons can also be found under the “Worksheets” tab in the program menu, and are available in both online formats and downloadable versions.
The online forms are completed and submitted within the website, which allows the study psychologist to take a look at them and answer any questions you might have about them. This also lets us know that you have completed homework assignments and that the next module(s) can be released to you. You can also view completed forms/past submissions later by going to the Worksheet tab, selecting the relevant online format form, and then clicking on the green confirmation banner. Or, if you prefer, you can also download PDF versions of the form to print off and complete by hand, during homework practice. Don’t forget to enter at least one of these as the online form, for the study psychologist’s review!
The Case Studies
At the end of each module are references and links to a series of case studies that follow 4 individuals (Jenny, Mark, Ann-Marie, and Steven) who are also experiencing problems with depression and anxiety, and who are also undertaking this program. Do follow their progress through the program, and see how they react to module content, deal with homework, and cope with challenges and setbacks along the way.
Even if you don’t have the exact same problem as one of these individuals, we strong encourage you to read through all the case studies, because they are intended to clarify lesson concepts, as well tasks/homework covered in the lesson. The full case studies can also be found under the “Case Studies” tab.
The Questionnaires
As this is a research initiative, it is important for us to be able to track changes in your symptoms, so that we can see if the program has been helpful to you. To do this, we will collect data from you, through questionnaires that are built into the program at the starting point (before you start the 1st module), at the midpoint (before you start the 6th module) and at the endpoint (before you start the 11th module). These questionnaires will ask you to report on your depression and anxiety symptoms, life satisfaction, and functioning. As completion of these questionnaires is a mandatory part of program participation, you will not be able to view the content of the modules they are attached to until they are completed.
We know that you may find it tedious to fill out such questionnaires, and may even find it difficult to do so if the questions stir up memories and emotions that you would prefer to avoid. But, we would really appreciate your assistance with this component, as the results are vital for us. They may affect the continuation or adjustment of this program, and even the development of our future research studies.
Pacing Through the Program
Since this is primarily a self-directed program, it can be completed at your own pace. You can log in to the website whenever and from wherever you wish, as your schedule allows. While individual completion rates may vary, the average time taken to finish all the modules is 8-9 weeks.
In order to fully benefit from the lessons, it’s important not to race through them or through the homework exercises. Moreover, it’s really important that you try to do the homework assignments on a daily basis, or as close to it as you can, as we realize that life can get busy. The program was created with the general intention that when modules are released, participants will work through them and their accompanying homework assignments over the next week. This allows lots of time for you to go through the lesson(s), absorb the material, apply the concepts, and touch base with the study psychologist, if needed.
Contact with the Study Team
You will have regular contact with the study team. Real-time study visits will take place at the starting point, midpoint and endpoint of the program, and in first few months after you complete the program. You will meet with the study co-ordinator at these time points, and she may also contact you in between if the need arises. For example, if a week has passed since a module was released to you and the system indicates you have not yet completed it, she may check to see if you have run into any difficulties with which we can help. Or, if your homework assignments for a module have not been submitted online, she may remind you to do so, so that the next module can be released to you. You can also contact the study co-ordinator at any time, if you need any study-related assistance.
You will also see the study psychiatrist at the starting point, midpoint and endpoint, and in the first few months after your program completion, who will check on your symptoms and on your medications (if you are taking any for depression or anxiety). While you cannot make any medication changes while you are in the program, the study psychiatrist can answer any questions you may have about medications, and can also discuss with you other medications you could try after the program, if that is your wish.
In addition, while you are going through the modules, you will also have access to a registered psychologist for approximately 10 minutes a week, to clarify any lesson concepts or ask questions about the homework. You can schedule contact with the study psychologist by sending a message through the website internal email system via the Messages menu.
Access to the Program
As this is a research initiative, we are not able to provide unlimited access to the program. You will be able to view program content for up to 2 weeks after you have completed Module 11. This will give you an opportunity to review the entire program content again, if you wish, and to download any of the homework forms or completed forms that you might like to refer to in future, for upkeep of what you learned in the program.
If, for any reason, you are not able to complete the program, site access will end 2 weeks after you last logged into the system. If you inform us that you are withdrawing from the study, site access will stop immediately.
Finally…
At any time, if you have questions about the program, or need more information or clarification on any point, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help!
Good luck with the program!