The effectiveness of an online support group for members of the community with depression: a randomised controlled trial

Kathleen M Griffiths, Andrew J Mackinnon, Dimity A Crisp, Helen Christensen, Kylie Bennett, Louise Farrer, Kathleen M Griffiths, Andrew J Mackinnon, Dimity A Crisp, Helen Christensen, Kylie Bennett, Louise Farrer

Abstract

Background: Internet support groups (ISGs) are popular, particularly among people with depression, but there is little high quality evidence concerning their effectiveness.

Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an ISG for reducing depressive symptoms among community members when used alone and in combination with an automated Internet-based psychotherapy training program.

Method: Volunteers with elevated psychological distress were identified using a community-based screening postal survey. Participants were randomised to one of four 12-week conditions: depression Internet Support Group (ISG), automated depression Internet Training Program (ITP), combination of the two (ITP+ISG), or a control website with delayed access to e-couch at 6 months. Assessments were conducted at baseline, post-intervention, 6 and 12 months.

Results: There was no change in depressive symptoms relative to control after 3 months of exposure to the ISG. However, both the ISG alone and the combined ISG+ITP group showed significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms at 6 and 12 months follow-up than the control group. The ITP program was effective relative to control at post-intervention but not at 6 months.

Conclusions: ISGs for depression are promising and warrant further empirical investigation.

Trial registration: Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN65657330.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: All authors declare that there are no competing interests that might be interpreted as influencing the research. Authors Kathleen Griffiths, Helen Christensen and Kylie Bennett have developed e-couch (http://ecouch.anu.edu.au), which is available free of charge on the Internet. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products to declare. This does not alter the authors' adherence to all the PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Figures

Figure 1. Participant flow through the study.
Figure 1. Participant flow through the study.

References

    1. Fox S (2009) The Social Life of Health Information. Washington DC: Pew Internet and American Life Project.
    1. Malhi G, Adams D, Porter R, Wignall A, Lape L, et al. (2009) Clinical overview: Clinical practice recommendations for depression. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 119 Suppl. 439: 8–26.
    1. World Health Organization (2008) The global burden of disease: 2004 update. Geneva: World Health Organization.
    1. Berger M, Wagner TH, Baker LC (2005) Internet use and stigmatized illness. Social Science and Medicine 61: 1821–1827.
    1. Griffiths KM, Farrer L, Christensen H (2010) The efficacy of internet interventions for depression and anxiety disorders: a review of randomised controlled trials. MJA 192: S4–S11.
    1. Andrews G, Cuijpers P, Craske MG, McEvoy P, Titov N (2010) Computer Therapy for the Anxiety and Depressive Disorders Is Effective, Acceptable and Practical Health Care: A Meta-Analysis. PLoS ONE 5: e13196.
    1. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2004) Depression. The treatment and management of depression in adults. London: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
    1. Horrigan JB, Rainie L, Fox S (2001) Online Communities: Networks that nurture long-distance relationships and local ties. Washington: Pew Internet & American Life Project.
    1. Davison K (2000) Who talks? The social psychology of illness support groups. American Psychologist 55: 205–217.
    1. Griffiths KM, Calear AL, Banfield M, Tam A (2009) Systematic review on Internet Support Groups (ISGs) and depression (2): What is known about depression ISGs? J Med Internet Res 11: e41.
    1. Pfeiffer P, Heisler M, Piette J, Rogers M, Valenstein M (2011) Efficacy of peer support interventions for depression: a meta-analysis. General Hospital Psychiatry 33: 29–36.
    1. Eysenbach G (2005) The law of attrition. J Med Internet Res 7: e11.
    1. DiMatteo MR (2004) Social support and patient adherence to medical treatment: a meta-analysis. Health Psychology 23: 207–218.
    1. Griffiths K, Crisp D, Christensen H, Mackinnon A, Bennett K (2010) The ANU WellBeing study: a protocol for a quasi-factorial randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of an Internet support group and an automated Internet intervention for depression. BMC Psychiatry 10: 20.
    1. Kessler R, Andrews G, Colpe L, Hiripi E, Mroczek, et al (2002) Short screening scales to monitor population prevalence and trends in nonspecific psychological distress. Psychological Medicine 32.
    1. Christensen H, Griffiths K, Jorm A (2004) Delivering interventions for depression by using the internet: Randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal 328: 265–270.
    1. Radloff LS (1977) The CES-D scale: A self report depression scale for research in the general population. Appl Psych Meas 1: 385–401.
    1. Eaton W, Muntaner C, Smith C, Tien A, Ybarra M (2004) Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale: Review and Revision (CESD and CESD-R). In: Maruish M, editor. The Use of Psychological Testing for Treatment Planning and Outcomes Assessment. Third ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. pp. 363–377.
    1. Andersson G, Bergstrom J, Hollandare F, Carlbring P, Kaldo V, et al. (2005) Internet-based self-help for depression: Randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry 187: 456–461.
    1. Bender R (2001) Calculating confidence intervals for the number needed to treat. Controlled Clinical Trials 21: 102–110.
    1. Christensen H, Griffiths KM, Farrer L (2009) Adherence in Internet interventions for anxiety and depression: Systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research 11 2: e13.
    1. Lintvedt OK, Griffiths KM, Sørensen K, Østvik AR, Wang CEA, et al. (2011) Evaluating the effectiveness and efficacy of unguided internet-based self-help intervention for the prevention of depression: a randomized controlled trial. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy Epub ahead of print
    1. Houston TK, Cooper LA, Ford DE (2002) Internet support groups for depression: A 1-year prospective cohort study. American Journal of Psychiatry 159: 2062–2068.

Source: PubMed

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

3
Subscribe