"At Overvinne, we believe that you know best what you need. At the same time, we know that you can overcome your challenges more easily and effectively if you allow us to help you. With skilled psychologists and warm technology, we provide support in a new way. We are here for you when you need it, in the way that works best for you."
Svein Øverland is a specialist in child and adolescent psychology and family therapy. He is also the editor of the journal Sexology and has authored two professional books.
Patrick A. Vogel is a Professor Emeritus at the Department of Psychology, NTNU. He is a specialist in clinical psychology and conducts research on mental disorders.
Overvinne is built on the same principles and manuals that psychologists use in traditional face-to-face therapy. The treatment program and other app features are based on third-generation cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and a transdiagnostic perspective (Dear et al., 2016). This means the focus is on possible solutions rather than the causes of problems, and on addressing individual challenges rather than diagnoses.
Svein Øverland and Patrick A. Vogel developed the content of the treatment program and ensured that the Overvinne clinic follows the guidelines for high-quality digital therapy (Vogel, 2022).
Svein Øverland is a specialist psychologist specializing in child and adolescent psychology, family therapy, and forensic psychology. He is also the editor of the journal Sexology and has authored two professional books.
Patrick A. Vogel is a Professor Emeritus at the Department of Psychology, NTNU. He is a specialist in clinical psychology and conducts research on mental disorders.
Overvinne follows national and international recommendations (Ebert et al., 2018) and develops products for:
1. Enhancing traditional interventions, such as e-health or digital tools to increase daily monitoring of mood, thoughts, and behaviors in cognitive behavioral interventions (Ebert et al., 2018).
2. Providing human support from psychologists and therapists.
3. Being used without support from healthcare professionals, making them more accessible (Muñoz et al., 2018).
There is now substantial evidence that severe depressive episodes and generalized anxiety disorders can be effectively prevented and treated with psychological interventions (Cuijpers, 2017; Cuijpers et al., 2010, 2014). However, traditional face-to-face therapy is resource- and time-intensive, meaning that many people do not receive the help they need (Torvik et al., 2018).
Digital tools used as self-guided interventions (without healthcare professionals) have shown significant effects on anxiety and depression symptoms. Studies indicate that self-help digital tools are effective for those who complete the treatment (Morgan et al., 2017).
Furthermore, research shows that self-help and psychological interventions can prevent depression in up to 50% of cases (Cuijpers et al., 2021). Recent years have also demonstrated that digital self-help is effective against depression and related conditions and that its effectiveness increases when supported by psychologists or other healthcare professionals (Rigabert et al., 2020).
Overvinne can be used as a standalone app or in combination with psychologist treatment. The psychologists at Overvinne are trained in using the Overvinne app, other digital solutions, and screen-based therapy. When these are combined, it is referred to as "blended therapy."
In blended therapy, the patient and psychologist plan together how to use the Overvinne app and other digital solutions between consultations. Meta-analyses of randomized clinical studies show that blended therapy can be beneficial for mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Ebert et al., 2018).
Combining face-to-face therapy with digital tools has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of psychological treatment while reducing costs (Ebert et al., 2018).
For years, there was skepticism about whether psychotherapy and digital guided self-help were as effective as traditional therapy. However, recent studies have shown that video therapy is effective for various mental disorders, including anxiety, depression, and adjustment disorders (Varker et al., 2019), as well as substance abuse, eating disorders, and other issues (Slone et al., 2012).
For PTSD, research comparing face-to-face therapy with video consultations has shown that for most individuals with PTSD, video therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy (Turgoose et al., 2018).
Some psychologists find it more challenging to interpret non-verbal communication, but this can be compensated for with adapted use and proper training on the platform. Research also shows that patients and users experience the same level of therapeutic alliance in video therapy as in face-to-face treatment (Thomas et al., 2021).
The psychologists affiliated with Overvinne are organized under Overvinne Clinic. All psychologists in Overvinne Clinic are authorized by the Norwegian Directorate of Health.Overvinne Clinic primarily offers online video consultations, though some psychologists also provide in-person consultations.
Here, clients can book consultations directly and provide feedback to their psychologists between sessions. All psychologists are trained in using the Overvinne platform for online therapy (Vogel, 2022) and can guide patients in using the treatment program within Overvinne.
Our research shows that Overvinne has a significant positive effect, with users experiencing more positive emotions as they continue using the app. These findings were first presented at Health Innovation Day on January 18, 2023.You can view the full research poster here.
Cuijpers, P. (2017). Four decades of outcome research on psychotherapies for adult depression: An overview of a series of meta-analyses. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 58(1), 7–19. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000096
Cuijpers, P., Sijbrandij, M., Koole, S., Huibers, M., Berking, M., & Andersson, G. (2014). Psychological treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 34(2), 130–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2014.01.002
Cuijpers, P., Smit, F., Bohlmeijer, E., Hollon, S. D., & Andersson, G. (2010). Efficacy of cognitive–behavioural therapy and other psychological treatments for adult depression: Meta-analytic study of publication bias. British Journal of Psychiatry, 196(3), 173–178. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.109.066001
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psykologi/klinisk/trygge-digitale-terapeuter/p-10031909-no/
