This study investigated use of the Internet in rehabilitating people
with chronic pain and/or burnout on long-term sick leave. Adults of
working age were randomly assigned to a treatment group (n=27) that
participated in a cognitive behavioral therapy course delivered over
the Internet or to a waiting list group (n=28) for at least 6 months.
The goals were to improve health outcomes and increase quality of life,
in terms of anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms. For those who
were not on permanent disability, the goal was to increase the capacity
to work. A 20-week program, based on Web-based videos, was supplemented
with a weekly facilitated asynchronous discussion board. Upon completion
of the online course, statistically significant improvements were observed
in the treatment group in comparison to the waiting list group. These
improvements were in the areas of anxiety and depression, pain, vitality,
social function, stress, and other symptoms. Thirteen of 23 individuals
(57%) also increased their work capacity. The researchers conclude that
the rehabilitation of people on long-term sick leave using the Internet
is a good complement to other rehabilitation strategies. Brattberg G.
Adapted from International journal of rehabilitation research; 2006
Sep 1;29 (3).
PMID 16900043
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed
Credit: PubMed, developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information
(NCBI) at the National
Library of Medicine (NLM).
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