UPEI research team awarded CIHR grant to study online addictions treatment program
The Centre Health and Biotech Management Research (CHBMR) at UPEI has been awarded more than $600,000 from The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) through its eHealth Innovation Partnership Program (eHIPP). The CHBMR is piloting and monitoring an award-winning, cognitive behavioural therapy developed by Dr. Kathleen Carroll and researchers at the Yale School of Medicine. CBT4CBT allows 24-hour-a-day online access to cognitive behavioural therapy for addictions to complement traditional treatment, including counselling.
“We are excited to be awarded this funding from CIHR, as it allows us to bring another tool to battle addiction to Canada,” said Dr. Juergen Krause, director of the CHBMR. “Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is known for its great success for helping individuals suffering from alcohol and substance abuse. CBT4CBT is the first program to offer cognitive behavioural therapy online and can be offered alongside traditional treatment options such as counselling. The funds obtained will provide us the unique opportunity to be the entry portal for this new addictions treatment approach to Canada and to develop it in collaboration with our partners in PEI and New Brunswick.”
Cognitive behavioural therapy allows patients to recognize triggers, improve coping mechanisms, and alter the behaviour that leads to substance abuse. CBT4CBT’s efficacy, durability, and cost-savings have been proven in clinical trials, and it has been praised by patients and therapy personnel alike. Through web-based delivery, CBT4CBT can reach people even in rural areas 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“The CIHR-funded project is a joint effort by Drs. Krause and Carroll and enables the implementation of an innovative and proven approach to the treatment of substance abuse that promises to benefit individuals in rural communities,” said Dr. Robert Gilmour, UPEI’s Vice-President of Research and Graduate Studies. “As such, UPEI is proud to be a part of the project and we look forward to further development of this approach as it gains traction on PEI and in rural communities across Canada.”
The development of this treatment program for Canada was initiated in Prince Edward Island. The Centre for Health and Biotech Management seeks to further establish CBT4CBT in Canada by first validating it in relevant rural communities before expanding it to more Canadian provinces and territories.
“Canada has no shortage of innovative health care thinkers, top-notch health researchers or vibrant entrepreneurs,” said Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of CIHR. “Through eHIPP, these great minds are coming together to deliver creative eHealth solutions for some of our country’s most pressing health care needs. I am particularly proud of the ways in which these projects put patients first, often by empowering them to be partners in their own care.”
CIHR announced yesterday more than $13 million in eHIPP funding for 22 research projects across the country, including this project at UPEI. This program was designed to test eHealth solutions in real-world contexts, and the breadth of funded projects highlights Canadian creativity and tech savviness. From the development of an app to enhance Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for youth being treated for anxiety and depression to programs that allow doctors and nurses to monitor the health of seniors in the comfort of their homes, these projects will help to empower patients to be partners in their health care, enable better health care, and accelerate innovation in Canada’s health system and growing health information technology (IT) industry.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada’s health research investment agency. CIHR’s mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened health care system for Canadians. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 13,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada.
