ABSTRACT

An increasing number of studies acknowledged not only that anxiety disorders are highly prevalent, but also that the burden of illness associated with these disorders is often significant. Moreover, their results suggest that the need for intervention is higher than the capacity of specialized mental health service providers. One strategy for overcoming the barriers to treatment involves the development of computer-based psychotherapy programs for common mental disorders. The major aims of this paper are to present the clinical effectiveness of the computer-based psychotherapy programs that try to reduce anxiety disorders, their cost-effectiveness and the specifics of the patient – therapist relationship in the computer-based psychotherapy programs

KEYWORDS: anxiety disorders, computer-based therapy, computer-guided CBT, stepped care.

PAGES: 209-230