Depression Mild, Depression Moderate
Conditions
Brief summary
A vast amount of studies show that online interventions are suitable to reduce symptoms of mental illness as for instance depression or anxiety. However, participants who use online interventions are more likely to drop out of treatment compared to face-to-face interventions. It is important to enhance adherence to online interventions so that participants engage longer in the programs. Also, as online interventions are useful to reduce the burden of mental illness, it is of interest to further improve outcomes of such interventions. Therefore, it will be investigated in this study whether or not four different factors have an impact in fostering adherence to and improving outcome of an internet-based self-help intervention based on problem-solving therapy. A multifactorial design will be used for this study to screen simultaneously whether or not i) a diagnostic telephone interview and, ii) an educational module based on motivational interviewing prior to the intervention and iii) guidance by the study team, and iv) automated e-mail reminders during the study are active factors in enhancing adherence to and outcome of online interventions.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALHERMES (Online Self-Help Intervention based on problem-solving therapy)
The Online Self-Help Intervention is an online program based on the problem-solving therapy (an evidence based approach of psychotherapy). All participants will receive the exact same intervention. However, what will be experimentally varied are the four listed interventions.
Sponsors
University of Bern
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
FACTORIAL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Masking description
Participants only know that the delivery or the context of online interventions are to be improved and investigated. However, they don't know the exact interventions.
Intervention model description
Multifactorial design (factorial trial), following the Multiphase optimisation Strategy (MOST)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* PHQ-9-Score between 5 - 14 * Signed Informed Consent * Contact information provided in case of emergency * Internet connection and device to use it (Smartphone, Computer, Tablet) * Fluent in german language
Exclusion criteria
* Suicidal tendencies (SBQ-R \> 7) * a current or previous diagnose of a bipolar or psychotic disorder * a current diagnosis of severe depression or another psychological disorder
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Depressive Symptoms | Baseline | Assessed with Patient Health Questionnaire - Depression (PHQ-9; Kroenke, Spitzer & Williams, 2001) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Health | Baseline, 10 weeks, 16 weeks | Assessed with Short Form Health Survey (SF-12; Gandek et al., 1998) |
| Social Problem Solving | Baseline, 10 weeks, 16 weeks | Assessed with Social Problem Solving Inventory Revised (SPSI-R; D'Zurilla et al., 1999) |
| Adherence to Intervention (1) | through study completion, an average of 16 weeks | Assessed with the online Program. Indicator of adherence: time spent in program |
| Adherence to Intervention (2) | through study completion, an average of 16 weeks | Assessed with the online Program. Indicator of adherence: clicks |
| Adherence to Intervention (3) | through study completion, an average of 16 weeks | Assessed with the online Program. Indicator of adherence: number of exercises completed |
| Anxiety Symptoms | Baseline, 10 weeks, 16 weeks | Assessed with Patient Health Questionnaire - Anxiety (GAD-7; Löwe et al., 2002) |
| Negative Effects of Psychotherapy | 10 weeks, 16 weeks | Assessed with Inventory for the Assessment of Negative Effects of Psychotherapy (INEP; Ladwig, Rief, & Nestoriuc, 2014) |
| Usability of Intervention | 10 weeks | Assessed with System Usability Scale (SAS; Brooke, 1996) |
| Stress Symptoms | Baseline, 10 weeks, 16 weeks | Assessed with Patient Health Questionnaire - Stress (PHQ-Stress; Löwe et al., 2002) |
| Suicidal Tendency | Baseline, 10 weeks, 16 weeks | Assessed with Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire - Revised (SBQ-R; Glaesmer et al., 2017) |
| Satisfaction with treatment | 10 weeks | Assessed with the german version of Client Satisfaction Questionnaire CSQ-8 (Attkisson & Zwick, 1982) |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Credibility and Expectancy | Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks | Assessed with Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaires (CEQ; Devilly & Borkovec, 2000) |
| Working Alliance | Baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks | Assessed with Working Alliance Inventory - for Internet Interventions (WAI-I; Gomez Penedo et al., 2019) |
Countries
Switzerland
Outcome results
None listed