Experiencing a panic attack? Fret not. Just go online to ward it off. A study has revealed that online therapy – exchanging emails with a psychologist - can work as well as face-to-face treatment for people with panic disorders, Journal of Medical Internet Research reported. "Mental illness is a growing problem worldwide. The management of anxiety and depression generally falls to family doctors who may lack time and resources to deliver appropriate psychological treatment to their patients. "So other methods for delivering effective therapy need to be developed," the study's lead author Kerrie Shandley of the University of Swinburne said. The study found that when panic disorder sufferers used the etherapy programme ‘Panic Online' in conjunction with support from a general practitioner, their panic disorder and panic-related symptoms were reduced with around 30 per cent losing their symptoms altogether. The researchers followed 96 people with a primary diagnosis of panic disorder who completed the 'Panic Online' programme over 12 weeks. Fifty-three of the participants had face-to-face assistance from their GP, who had received specialist training in cognitive behavioural therapy, and 43 had assistance from a clinical psychologist via email. The participants completed a telephonic interview by a psychologist and a series of online questionnaires to assess panic-related symptoms over the course of the treatment and at a six-month follow-up. "Both groups were shown to significantly improve over time. There're no noticeable differences between participants who had assistance from their GP and those who had assistance from a clinical psychologist," Shandley said.
