A Norwegian psychology professor-cum-entrepreneur has taken on the task of helping people to drink less, quit smoking and exercise more – over the Internet.
Pål Kraft and his company Changetech offer web-based services to help people to make those changes that require a little extra willpower.
Based on psychological research
Changetech has received funding under the Research Council of Norway’s Programme for User-driven Research-based Innovation (BIA) to develop self-help programmes focusing on tobacco and alcohol use, post-natal depression, physical training, and coping with chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, HIV, rheumatic disorders and diabetes.
“We base our programmes on the therapy conducted in the therapist’s office,” explains Dr Kraft, “where for over 50 years psychologists have been using and refining a set of tools whose efficacy has been documented in various types of research. When developing our programmes, we have dug into the research literature, systematised it and extracted the therapeutic elements we believe can be digitalised.”
Self-development therapy and intervention programmes
Changetech is targeting what is perhaps the world’s fastest growing market – self-development and wellness – and has taken its products from the research phase to the market in just five years. Today Changetech programmes are used by 1.5 users in 55 countries.
In addition to lifestyle programmes, the company is also developing intervention programmes to help to prevent depression. Changetech has also developed conflict management programmes, tailored for use in couples therapy and childrearing, among other areas.
Up to now the company’s main clients have been pharmaceutical companies, although Changetech has also developed programmes for the health authorities, NGOs and other types of companies. Soon the Oslo-based company will be marketing its programmes directly to individual users under the NewMe brand.
Low-threshold help
Users never meet a therapist face-to-face; instead the programmes are delivered to users’ computers, iPads or smartphones, in a format similar to an e-Learning programme.
There are of course certain drawbacks to the fact that users never talk to a therapist. It is impossible to achieve 100 per cent individualised therapy without one-on-one therapy sessions.
But according to Dr Kraft, “The benefits far outweigh the disadvantages.”
“This kind of therapy is easily accessible. It can be used anytime and anywhere the user wants. In addition, it offers the option of anonymity. For example, we know that it is difficult for many women with alcohol problems to seek help, and we can see that groups like these are overrepresented in our programmes.”
Measuring effectiveness
The psychologists at Changetech are conducting clinical effectiveness studies to ascertain whether the programmes are working as they were intended to. The preliminary findings are promising.
“I think the reason our programmes are so effective is precisely because they are interactive. Although the programmes do not directly involve a therapist, users become deeply involved in the therapeutic process. The fact that treatment extends over a longer period than is usually the case in ordinary treatment is also an advantage,” says Dr Kraft.
Ordinarily psychologists in Norway offer a programme consisting of 10-12 one-hour sessions. In comparison, Changetech’s programme for changing alcohol consumption habits has a 58-day active change phase, with a follow-up phase of up to one year.
Source: Research Council of Norway
