Computer-based psychological treatment for co-occurring depression and substance use problems

In patients with comorbid depression and problematic use of alcohol, cannabis and/or amphetamines, is computer-based cognitive behaviour therapy as efficacious as an equivalent therapist-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy program and/or superior to a brief intervention control group in reducing symptoms of depression and levels of substance use?

Status

Completed

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ANZCTR

Registry ID

ACTRN12607000437460

Acronym

The SHADE project (Self-Help for Alcohol/other drug use and DEpression)

Enrollment

100

Registered

2007-08-29

Start date

2002-03-31

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2020-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

This study aimed to develop and pilot test a computer-based psychological treatment for co-occurring depression and alcohol/other drug use problems. Computer-based treatment was compared with a therapist-delivered treatment that was identical in content, and both of these treatments were compared with a brief treatment control group of one-session. It was hypothesised that people with co-occurring depression and alcohol/other drug use problems would attend and report benefits from a computer-based psychological treatment targeted at their conditions; that people in the therapist- and computer-delivered treatments would report similar reductions in depression and alcohol/other drug use over time, and that participants in both of these treatments would report superior reductions in depression and alcohol/other drug use problems than the brief intervention control group.

Interventions

Intervention group 1: computer-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (10 once weekly sessions of 60 mins duration, delivered via a computer program, with once weekly 10-15 min check-in sessions delivered by a therapist) Intervention group 2: therapist-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy (10 once weekly sessions of 60 mins duration delivered by a therapist)

Study design

Allocation

Randomised controlled trial

Intervention model

Parallel

Primary purpose

Treatment

Masking

Blinded (masking used)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

16 Years to -2147483648 N/A

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

a.Current depressive symptomatology, as indicated by a score of 17 or greater on the Beck Depression Inventory II; b. Lifetime diagnosis of major depressive disorder, as confirmed by the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disroders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV), Research Version; c. Current problematic use of at least one of the following: alcohol (i.e. consumption above recommended drinking levels in Australia; equates to 4 standard drinks per day for men or 2 standard drinks per day for women with fewer than 2 alcohol free days per week); cannabis (at least weekly use); or amphetamines (at least weekly use); d. 16 years or over e. Absence of a brain injury, organic brain disease and/or significant cognitive impairment; and f. Ability to understand English.

Exclusion criteria

a. Current psychotic disorder b. Brain injury, organic disease and/or significant cognitive impairment c. Inability to understand English

Outcome results