Adherence, Depression, Effectiveness, Internet-based Intervention, Predictors, Students
Conditions
Brief summary
Depressive symptoms are prevalent among college students and often remain untreated. E-health interventions may help overcome treatment barriers by offering accessible and flexible support. This study will evaluate the effects of Moodpep, a guided online intervention for college students with depressive symptoms, and will examine predictors of treatment success and adherence.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMoodpep
See arm description
Sponsors
VU University of Amsterdam
Maastricht University
Utrecht University
University of Amsterdam
Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Avans University of applied sciences
InHolland University of Applied Sciences
Universiteit Leiden
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
All students will start with Moodpep: a guided online self-help intervention for college students with depressive symptoms.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
16 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Eligible for Moodpep were students from the participating universities and universities of applied sciences: VU Amsterdam, Leiden University, Maastricht University, Utrecht University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of Amsterdam, InHolland University of Applied Sciences, Avans University of Applied Sciences and Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. The following inclusion criteria for Moodpep were used: 1. age 16 or older; 2. informed consent was provided; 3. reading Dutch and/or English fluently; 4. having access to a device with internet (e.g., computer, laptop); 5. providing complete data at baseline; and 6. no severe depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 total score \> 20) or risk of suicidal behavior (based on 3 questions). This last criterion was removed on May 9, 2023. After data collection, for statistical and content-related reasons, PhD students were removed from the analysis, just as students below 18 and above 30 years old, students who indicated their gender was other and students who completed less than 1 module of the intervention. This was done because the focus of the study was on students and not PhD students who are employees in the Netherlands, most students are between 18 and 30 years old, not enough students of another gender participated to include them separately in the analyses, and we were interested in the effects of Moodpep for students who started the intervention.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) | T0 (baseline), T1 (6 weeks post-baseline), T2 (6 months post-baseline) | Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9; Kroenke et al., 2001). Total scores range from 0 to 27 with higher scores indicating more depressive symptoms. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Adherence | T1 (6 weeks post-baseline) | Number of modules completed (1-8). For the logistic regression analysis, 2 categories will be made: participants who completed 1 module and participants who completed 2-8 modules. |
| Predictors | T0 (baseline) | Age, gender (male, female), nationality (Dutch, international), current psychotropic medication use (yes, no), and current psychotherapy (yes, no). |
Countries
Netherlands
Outcome results
None listed