Online identification and referral for debt and mental health issues

Abstract

PurposeThis paper seeks to describe a new service developed by national debt charity Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) aimed at identifying clients within its online debt counselling tool who may be suffering from stress and anxiety and then referring them for advice and support, including computer‐based cognitive behavioural therapy (CCBT).Design/methodology/approachSince December 2010, clients using CCCS Debt Remedy, the charity's online debt counselling tool, have been asked four trigger questions which indicate whether the user is suffering from depression and/or anxiety. Clients who show these signs, after they receive a recommendation about how to deal with their debt, are offered the opportunity to complete a more comprehensive assessment known as CCCS Wellbeing. The CCCS Wellbeing assessment consists of 16 questions, nine relating to depression and seven to anxiety. The depression questions are based on the medically endorsed depression screener, PHQ‐9, and the anxiety questions are based on the similarly medically endorsed anxiety screener, GAD‐7. These two screeners are also the source of the four original trigger questions.FindingsOf the 36,618 clients who were counselled by CCCS Debt Remedy between the launch of the new service in December 2010 and the end of May 2011, 65 percent obtained a recommendation to undertake CCCS Wellbeing. The vast majority of clients who obtained a CCCS Wellbeing recommendation through the online debt counselling tool were showing signs of both depression and anxiety (74 percent).Originality/valueThe high propensity for people to be recommended to CCCS Wellbeing demonstrates the need for the service. This will inform future service development by CCCS, which is studying new ways to further identify and refer for help its clients who are struggling with their mental health.