STOCKHOLM, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) via the Internet is just as effective in treating panic disorder ( recurring panic attacks) as traditional group-based CBT, according to a new research from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institute (KI) on Monday.
"Internet-based CBT is also more cost-effective than group therapy," said Jan Bergstrom, a doctoral student at the Center for Psychiatry Research at KI.
"The results therefore support the introduction of Internet treatment into regular psychiatry, which is also what the National Board of Health and Welfare recommends in its new guidelines for the treatment of depression and anxiety," Bergstrom said in a statement.
It is estimated that depression affects some 15 percent and panic disorder 4 percent of all people during their lifetime. Depression can include a number of symptoms, such as low mood, lack of joy, guilt, lethargy, concentration difficulties, insomnia and a low zest for life, the research said.
