Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

One-third of adults will meet the criteria for a mental disorder at some point, and often face chronic and severe consequences. In fact, mental disorders are the second leading cause of the global burden of disease, and will cost the world $8.2 trillion CAD per year, by 2031. However, most people with mental disorders do not receive treatment due to barriers such as cost, limited access, stigma, and more. One way to reduce these barriers to treatment and reduce the mental health service gap is through low-intensity online self-guided evidence-based treatment programs. Our team has developed a free self-guided online program known as CBTm that reduces symptoms of mental disorders. Roughly 300 people enroll in CBTm each month. However, like other low-intensity options, this program is limited by higher drop out and lower engagement when compared to traditional face-to-face therapy. To address this, our team is developing a pre-CBTm booster intervention to increase engagement and reduce drop out. To determine if it was successful, we will compare participants of CBTm that receive this intervention to those who do not. This booster intervention has the potential to reduce the mental health treatment gap by increasing the reach and benefits of the CBTm program. If effective, my novel brief intervention will continue to be offered within the CBTm program, and results will be shared widely. This will push the field of psychology forward, as drop out and engagement within these low-intensity programs is a known issue. Brief booster interventions also have the potential to reduce the suffering of people with mental disorders and create equitable mental healthcare. Furthermore, government officials, policy makers, and mental health professionals will all find this research important, as the mental health treatment gap is a growing problem impacting Canada and the world, and this research addresses it in a resource efficient manner.