Executive Summary : | Depression is a growing issue in Indian society due to the increasing stress levels. Antidepressant drugs are effective, but their relapse rates are high and many patients do not respond. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an alternative treatment approach, but its reach is limited by the shortage of qualified therapists, high costs of multiple sessions, and stigma associated with visiting psychiatric clinics. Computerized CBT, which delivers CBT automatically by a computer, has the potential to bridge this gap. However, existing computerized CBT tools have drawbacks such as a limited toolkit, low adherence rates, and lack of personalization. Clinical depression is characterized by information processing biases, which make individuals more vulnerable to depression and increase the risk of relapse. Modifying these biases has been shown to reduce depressive symptoms, but there is a lack of engagement in existing bias modification paradigms. The objective is to develop novel games that embed training for correcting cognitive biases and combine them with interactive CBT modules into a comprehensive online tool for psychotherapy. The software will function as an automated, intelligent, and personalized intervention suitable for patients with mild to moderate levels of depression and as a preventive tool for healthy individuals at risk of developing depression. To test the effectiveness of the newly developed intervention, a double-blind randomized controlled trial will be conducted to compare the results to an active control version of the program. Depressive symptoms levels will be measured using a standard self-administered questionnaire throughout the program. If the tool shows a reduction in depressive symptoms, the software tool will be released for public use. |