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Good Days Ahead is a web-based, interactive psychoeducation package that works with the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of anxiety and depression. The program is mainly marketed to clinicians who use the program to supplement traditional psychotherapy, but it can also be purchased directly by consumers if desired. Users are asked to rate themselves on anxiety and depression scales and these ratings are graphically displayed as the user goes through various aspects of the program. The program contains 9 lessons that cover the basic concepts of CBT, the “Thinking Skills” or cognitive aspects of CBT, the “Behavioral Skills” of CBT, “Schemas” and various “Coping Tools”. Expert therapists provide video based instructions during these lessons. The lessons are complemented by a “Practice Section” in which users produce a detailed “Thought Change Record” to monitor progress and to prepare for future stressful events. A mobile app called “ReThink” can also be used as a supplement to the web-based version of the program. The app allows the user to record thoughts and reactions that can later be entered into the computer program, but does not allow access to a full version of the program.
Read the Professional Review for Good Days Ahead: A Professional ReviewAvailable for: Available on the Web.
Developer: Empower Interactive
Type of Treatment: Cognitive Behavioral Principles
Targeted Conditions: Mood Disorders, Stress and Anxiety
Target Audience: Adults
Designed to be used in conjunction with a professional? Recommended
Languages Available: English
Cost: Payment Required
Get it on: Web
In one study, 45 participatns who were experiencing depression were randomly assigned to a traditional Cognitive Behavior Therapy treatment group, a Computer-assisted Cognitive Behavior Therapy (DVD-ROM version of GoodDaysAhead) treatment group, and wait list control group. The result shows that both treatment groups show significant effects than the wait list control group in decreasing depressive symptoms, with no significant differences between traditional Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Computer-assisted Cognitive Behavior Therapy. (Wright, J. H., Wright, A. S., Albano, A. M., Basco, M. R., Goldsmith, L. J., Raffield, T., & Otto, M. W. 2005. https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.6.1158)
In another study designed to inform the development of Good Days Ahead, 150 participants who were experiencing depression were randomly assigned to cognitive talk therapy and computer-assisted CBT. Both groups show significant reduction in decreasing depressive symptoms, and there were no significant differeces between those two groups. (Wright, J. H., Wright, A. S., Salmon, P., Beck, A. T., Kuykendall, J., Goldsmith, L. J., & Zickel, M. B. 2002. https://psychotherapy.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.2002.56.1.76)
A meta-analysis published in 2015 found that computer assisted cognitive behavioral therapies (CCBTs) show promise in effectiveness of delivery of the treatment. (Eells, T. D., Barrett, M. S., Wright, J. H., & Thase, M. E. 2015. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40473-015-0051-4)
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