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Internet May Effectively Provide Interventions for Depression Among Select Patients
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
01/27/2004
By Joene Hendry
The Internet is a potentially effective tool for providing interventions to individuals with depression, according to the findings of a controlled trial conducted in Australia.
The study found improved symptoms of depression and depression literacy among individuals who participated in specific website offerings.
"Our participants were highly educated and not recruited through general practice," writes Professor Helen Christensen and colleagues at Australian National University, Canberra, adding that "more than 90% reported having been markedly depressed previously, with 64% reporting that they sought help from a doctor or counselor at the time," which indicates these findings "may be relevant to a subset of patients from general practice."
Study participants, selected via a mailed survey questionnaire, included 150 men and 375 women, mean age of 36.43 years, who had Internet access. Of these, 166 participated in a website offering information about depression while 182 participated in an interactive website offering cognitive behaviour therapy. The individuals in both groups received weekly telephone instruction on website use as well as detailed weekly assignments for 6 weeks. The remaining 178 individuals comprised the control group and participated in weekly telephone discussions on lifestyle and environmental factors affecting depression.
Overall, 83% of the study participants returned post-intervention questionnaires and 79% completed 6-weeks of intervention. In the intention-to-treat analysis mean scores on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies depression scale improved by 2.9 in the group using the depression information website and by 3.2 in the group using the cognitive behaviour therapy website compared with the control group. Web-based cognitive behaviour therapy resulted in less dysfunctional thinking and improved knowledge about cognitive behaviour therapy while the depression information site improved understanding of effective treatments for depression.
"Follow up of the results at 12 months will provide information about the sustainability of Internet interventions," the authors note.
BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.37945.566632.EE (published 23 January 2004).
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