New methods for delivering therapies for better well-being

Metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes can be pre-

vented and even treated by encouraging people at risk

to change their lifestyles. However, lifestyle changes

require significant mental capabilities..

In SalWe’s Mind and Body Programme, the research

teams at the Universities of Helsinki, Eastern Finland

and Jyväskylä, VTT Technical Research Centre and the

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health have joined

forces with Duodecim Publishing, Firstbeat Technolo-

gies, Valio, the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service and

Vivago to study the impact of modern psychological

interventions on indicators of mental and physical

health.

“As the basis for measurements of behavioural modifi-

cation, we chose acceptance and commitment therapy,

which aims to increase individual psychological flex-

ibility and which has produced good results among

many patients,” says Marjukka Kolehmainen, senior

scientist at the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio.

“We wanted to see whether the changes in well-being

yielded by the therapy can be measured by traditional

What improvements in well-being can be obtained by using new technologies to promote lifestyle changes? A unique multidisciplinary study within SalWe’s Mind and Body Programme measured the effects on health of various kinds of therapy using advanced technologies and compared them with the results of conventional face-to-face therapy.

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SalWe - Strategic Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation in Health and Well-being

indicators of mental and physical well-being. At the

same time we compared the results obtained by de-

livering the therapy using modern communications

technologies. This provides comparable data on how

online and mobile services can be used to promote

well-being.”

Promising preliminary results in combating depression A total of 280 people took part in the study. They

were divided into a face-to-face lifestyle interven-

tion group, an online intervention group, a mobile

technology-based intervention group and a control

group.

“As for depression symptoms, the preliminary results

seem to show that all forms of intervention were

beneficial,” says Professor Raimo Lappalainen of

Jyväskylä University.

Miikka Ermes of VTT points out that the findings cur-

rently available show the value of therapy assisted by

modern technologies. “Mobile and online therapies

were as effective in preventing depression as interper-

sonal sessions with a psychologist. The benefit comes

from the fact that technology can deliver the therapy

anywhere, anytime.”

He adds that a mobile phone is no replacement for

a healthcare professional. However, technology might

be used to treat a significant proportion of cases

of mild depression if the treatment is provided at

an early stage. This would free up professionals to

treat more serious cases.

Benefits of cross-disciplinary research“Studies of intervention therapy are a fine example

of what can be achieved by a Strategic Centre for

Science, Technology and Innovation. This SHOK con-

cept has brought together the top enterprises and

researchers of the field,” says Marjukka Kolehmainen.

“Without SalWe’s Mind and Body Programme, it would

not have happened.”

“Studies of intervention therapy are a fine example of what can be achieved by a Strategic Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation. Without SalWe’s Mind and Body Programme, it would not have happened.”

More information

Miikka Ermesprogramme managerVTT Technical Research Centremiikka.ermes@vtt.fi +358 40 530 9273

Marjukka Kolehmainensenior scientistUniversity of Eastern Finlandmarjukka.kolehmainen@uef.fi+358 40 355 3617

Raimo Lappalainen professorUniversity of Jyväskylä raimo.lappalainen@psyka.jyu.fi+358 50 443 2349

SalWe - Strategic Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation in Health and Well-being