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Personalized Prevention of Depression in Primary Care

Preventing the Onset of Depression Through a Personalized Intervention Based on ICTs, Risk Prediction Algorithms and Decision Support Systems for Patients and GPs: the e-predictD Study

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03990792
Enrollment
663
Registered
2019-06-19
Start date
2020-02-01
Completion date
2023-12-31
Last updated
2025-05-28

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

Conditions

Depression

Keywords

Depression, Primary Prevention, Primary Health Care, Randomized controlled trial, mHealth, App

Brief summary

The main goal is to design, develop and evaluate a personalized intervention to prevent the onset of depression based on Information and Communications Technology (ICTs), risk predictive algorithms and decision support systems (DSS) for patients and general practitioners (GPs). The specific goals are 1) to design and develop a DSS, called e-predictD-DSS, to elaborate personalized plans to prevent depression; 2) to design and develop an ICT solution that integrates the DSS on the web, a mobile application (App), the risk predictive algorithm, different intervention modules and a monitoring-feedback system; 3) to evaluate the usability and adherence of primary care patients and their GPs with the e-predictD intervention; 4) to evaluate the effectiveness of the e-predictD intervention to reduce the incidence of major depression, depression and anxiety symptoms and the probability of major depression next year; 5) to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of the e-predictD intervention to prevent depression. Methods: This is a randomized controlled trial with allocation by cluster (GPs), simple blind, two parallel arms (e-predictD vs active m-Health control) and 1 year follow-up including 720 patients (360 in each arm) and 72 GPs (36 in each arm). Patients will be free of major depression at baseline and aged between 18 and 55 years old. Primary outcome will be the incidence of major depression at 12 months measured by CIDI. As secondary outcomes: depressive and anxiety symptomatology measured by PHQ-9 and GAD-7 and the risk probability of depression measured by predictD algorithm, as well as cost-effectiveness and cost-utility. The e-predictD intervention is multi-component and it is based on a DSS that helps the patients to elaborate their own personalized depression prevention plans, which the patient approves, and implements, and the system monitors offering feedback to the patient and to the GPs. It is an e-Health intervention because it is based on a web and m-Health because it is also implemented on the patient's smartphones through an App. In addition, it integrates a risk algorithm of depression, which is already validated (the predictD algorithm). It also includes an initial GP-patient interview and a specific training for the GP. Finally, a map of potentially useful local community resources to prevent depression will be integrated into the DSS.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALe-predictD intervention

The intervention is based on validated risk algorithms to predict depression and includes: 1) Mobile applications as main user's interface; 2) a DSS that helps patients to develop their own personalized plans to prevent (PPP) depression; 3) eight intervention modules (the core of the system) including activities to prevent depression, to be proposed by the DSS and chosen by the patient. The intervention is biopsychosocial and multi-component, including the following modules: physical exercise, improving sleep, expanding relationships, problem solving, improving communication skills, assertiveness training, making decisions and managing thoughts. Patients will implement the recommendations and the tool will monitor these actions, offering feedback to improve their PPP at 3, 6 and 9 months. The intervention also includes an initial and single 15-minute face-to-face GP-patient interview.

The intervention consists of an App that weekly send brief psychoeducational messages about physical and mental health (depression, anxiety, sleep hygiene, physical activity, etc.)

Sponsors

Preventive Services and Health Promotion Research Network
CollaboratorOTHER
Institute of Biomedical Research in Málaga (IBIMA)
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Andalusian Regional Ministry of Health
CollaboratorOTHER_GOV
European Regional Development Fund
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Malaga
CollaboratorOTHER
The Mediterranean Institute for the Advance of Biotechnology and Health Research
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 55 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* PHQ-9 \<10 at baseline * Moderate-high risk of depression (predictD risk algorithm score ≥ 10%)

Exclusion criteria

* Not have a smartphone and internet for personal use * Unable to speak Spanish * Documented terminal illness * Documented cognitive impairment * Limiting sensory disorder (e.g. deafness) * Documented serious mental illness (psychosis, bipolar, addictions, etc.)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Incidence of major depression measured by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI)12 monthsComposite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) is a structured diagnostic interview that provides current diagnoses of major depression

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9)12 monthsThe Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) measures symptoms of depression through 9 items, each of which is scored 0 ('not at all') to 3 ('nearly every day'). Low scores are equivalent to less symptoms of depression, the scale range is 0 to 27 (9 items)
Anxious symptoms measured by the General Anxiety Questionnaire (GAD-7)12 monthsThe General Anxiety Questionnaire (GAD-7) measures generalized anxiety disorder through 7 items, each of which is scored 0 ('not at all') to 3 ('nearly every day'). Low scores are equivalent to less symptoms of anxiety, the scale range is 0 to 21 (7 items)
Probability of depression (predictD risk algorithm)12 months
Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility12 months

Countries

Spain

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Sep 13, 2026