The link between physical and psychological health is well
established and psychosocial treatment has been demonstrated to ameliorate the condition
of patients with chronic diseases such as epilepsy. This includes improvements
in self-management strategies such as compliance to medical regimes and reduction
in psychiatric comorbidities like anxiety and depression. Internet-based
self-help therapies are growing in number and popularity as they circumvent the
typical barriers to treatment like transportation and cost. In the article,
"A Systematic Review of Internet Based Self-Help
Therapeutic Interventions to Improve Distress and Disease-Control among Adults
with Chronic Health Conditions", investigators evaluate the current state of
research regarding the efficacy of online educational platforms for a variety
of diseases. In the 24 experiments considered, online interventions contributed
to improvements of the physical symptoms in many diseases and were often as
efficacious as therapist-led interventions. Read the full article here:
