None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The aim of this study is to conduct a preliminary assessment of the acceptability, useability and usefulness of, and engagement with, a new psychoeducation website, Depression Assist, to assist adult family/friends of adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) to carry out their vital supportive role and maintain their wellbeing. In this formative evaluation, we aim to ask 30 family/friends participants to access the website over 3 months and respond to an initial screening and baseline survey and monthly online follow-up surveys (over the three months). The results of this formative evaluation will guide the refinement of Depression Assist and a dedicated rural version that is aimed at benefiting members of the public who care for a person with major depressive disorder.
Interventions
Participants can access the DepressionASSIST website (described below) for 3 months after their initial access. Participants complete a survey that helps them to develop a pathway through the intervention based on their goals and what is relevant to them, however, they can complete the modules at their own discretion. Engagement with the site will be enhanced by monthly telehealth sessions, via telephone or zoom, where a facilitator will help the participant navigate the site and understand the
Participants can access the DepressionASSIST website (described below) for 3 months after their initial access. Participants complete a survey that helps them to develop a pathway through the intervention based on their goals and what is relevant to them, however, they can complete the modules at their own discretion. Engagement with the site will be enhanced by monthly telehealth sessions, via telephone or zoom, where a facilitator will help the participant navigate the site and understand the content. Facilitatiors are trained by accredited psychologists two weeks prior to the start of the intervention for a total of 5 hours and supervised weekly by a psychologist throughout the intervention. The sessions will take approximately 40 to 60 minutes and the participant will provide feedback on their experience using the site during these sessions. Participants will also complete monthly 10 minute online surveys to monitor their depressive symptoms (using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales, 21 item version and item 9 from the self-report version of the Montogomery Åsberg Rating Scale), as well as wellbeing and coping measures (Carer-related Quality of Life Instrument, Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory, World Health Organisation-Five Well-Being Index). Adherence will be monitored using session attendance, survey completion, and monitoring of website use over the three months. Data on how participants used the website will also be gathered (e.g., what they have accessed, how long they interacted with it) and compared with the initial intervention pathway they developed. The DepressionASSIST website: The DepressionASSIST program includes access to a psychoeducation website containing information that may be important for family/friends of people with major depressive disorder to know, based on the results of a Delphi study in combination with the latest literature. This information is presented as 7 interactive modules: Maintaining Wellbeing, What is Depression, Causes and Triggers, Treatment and Coping Strategies, Providing Support, Helping in a Crisis, and Relationships and Communication. Each module is augmented with interactive tools to help users learn and apply the information. These “care tools” are simple editable forms with suggestions derived from website content, space for personalized responses and hypothetical examples for family/friends to practice skills prior to applying them to their situation. The care tools include reflection tools to help family/friends step back and monitor their own stress/depression and ways of coping as well as the person’s depressive symptoms, coping tools including stress reduction and problem-solving exercises and plans for helping the person they support in an acute episode, with suicide risk, and to prevent relapse, and decision tools to encourage the use of helpful coping skills and support services. These tools are based on effective face-to-face family and carer psychoeducation interventions and evidenced-based techniques for reducing stress and anxiety and depressive symptoms from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance, Mindfulness approaches and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. These tools have been developed specifically for this study and are not readily available resources.
Sponsors
Deakin University
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
All participants will need to • Identify as a key informal support person, and family member, friend or partner of an adult (18 or over) with a primary diagnoses of major depressive disorder (i.e. The MDD is not secondary to a serious medical illness or alcohol or other drug problem as this would also require specialized information on these other conditions). • Be aged 18 years or over. • Be able to speak and read English at a sufficient level to understand website content and respond to the surveys. • Live in Australia, as this version of the website will provide information specific to Australian health, social and legal services and policies and phone contact. Later it may be possible to adapt this website to include services and resources in other countries. • Be able to access the website on their computer via the Internet and be contactable via email and phone.
Exclusion criteria
• Having a physical or neurological disorder that will impair their ability to participate fully (e.g. Dementia). • The person they care for is currently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. • Currently severely depressed as evidenced by a score of 21 or higher on the Depression Scale of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. • Currently suicidal as indicated by a score of greater than or equal to 2 on item 9 of the Montgomery and Asberg Rating Scale self-assessment version.
Outcome results
None listed