Depressive Symptoms
Conditions
Keywords
Depressive Symptoms, e-Mental Health, suicide prevention
Brief summary
This randomized controlled trial evaluates the effectiveness of an electronic mental health program (e-MHP) in reducing depressive symptoms among adults. The study also compares outcomes between clinical and nonclinical populations.
Detailed description
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and chronic mental health condition associated with substantial morbidity, including disability, suicide risk, and socioeconomic burden. Despite the availability of effective treatments, access to care remains limited due to barriers such as cost, stigma, long wait times, and shortages of mental health professionals. These challenges are particularly pronounced in underserved and remote populations. Digital mental health interventions, including internet- and mobile-based programs, have emerged as scalable and accessible approaches to address these gaps. Evidence suggests that such interventions, particularly those based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can achieve outcomes comparable to traditional face-to-face treatments while offering advantages in cost-effectiveness and accessibility. However, issues such as user engagement, adherence, and variability in effectiveness across populations remain important concerns. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an electronic mental health program (e-MHP) designed to reduce depressive symptoms and related outcomes, including anhedonia, self-esteem, and suicidal ideation. The intervention integrates components of CBT, health promotion, and positive psychology. Participants are randomly assigned to either the intervention group, which receives the e-MHP, or a comparison condition. The study includes both clinical participants with depressive symptoms and nonclinical individuals at risk, allowing for comparison of intervention effects across populations with differing symptom severity and care needs. The primary outcome is a change in depressive symptom severity. Secondary outcomes include changes in anhedonia, global self-esteem, and suicidal ideation. The findings are expected to inform the development and implementation of scalable digital mental health interventions and contribute to evidence-based strategies for depression prevention and treatment across diverse populations.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALdigital mental health program
The digital mental health program comprises nine interactive online modules that target knowledge of depression, cognitive reframing, emotional acceptance, behavioral activation, interpersonal skills, relaxation, a healthy lifestyle, and positive psychology.
Sponsors
Chang Hsiu-Ju
National Science and Technology Council, Taiwan
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
The inclusion criteria for clinical participants were as follows: being aged 18 to 65 years, receiving a diagnosis of mood disorders (made based on International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes: F32, F33, F34, F38, or F39), having a PHQ-9 score of 5 to 14, being fluent in Chinese, and having Internet access with basiThe nonclinical group (n = 44) was recruited from 2 universities. * The inclusion criteria for nonclinical participants were as follows: being ages 18 to 25 years, being a university student, having a PHQ-9 score of 5 to 14, being fluent in Chinese, and having Internet access with basic digital literacy.
Exclusion criteria
The
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Depression Severity | From enrollment to the end of intervention at 12 weeks. Post-test is held at 12 weeks after the intervention. | Depression severity will be assessed using a standardized depression scale. Scores will be analyzed as continuous variables. Unit of Measure: Scale score (e.g., 0-27) Interpretation: \<5 = normal 5-9 = mild 10-14 = moderate 15-19 = moderately severe ≥20 = severe |
Countries
Taiwan
Outcome results
None listed