Background:
The co-occurrence of depression and alcohol/other drug misuse is more common than expected by chance alone. Despite this, an effective program of treatment is yet to be established for people experiencing this comorbidity. This is a concern, given rates of depression and alcohol misuse are on the increase.
Aim:
This paper will report on the posttreatment alcohol/other drug- and depression-related outcomes of the SHADE project, a large-scale, multisite study of computerized psychological treatment.
Methods:
SHADE participants were those with current levels of depression and current problematic use of alcohol, cannabis or amphetamines. Following an initial assessment, participants received one face-to-face case formulation session with a therapist and were subsequently randomized to receive nine sessions of SHADE therapy by a therapist, nine sessions of SHADE therapy through a computer or nine sessions of person-centered (supportive) counseling. Follow-up occurred at posttreatment, 6- and 12-month follow-up.
Results:
Posttreatment results will be reported for the 250 participants recruited to the study in rural/remote and urban New South Wales.
Conclusions:
Computerized treatment is not meant as a stand-alone therapy. The results from this study suggest that computer-based interventions can produce important gains for people with depression and alcohol/other drug use comorbidity. Further implications will be discussed.
