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

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053244

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

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

104 Citations (Scopus)

67 Downloads (Pure)

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 <ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN65657330" xlink:type="simple" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">ISRCTN65657330</ext-link>.

Original language	English
Article number	e53244
Pages (from-to)	1-9
Number of pages	9
Journal	PLoS One
Volume	7
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0053244
Publication status	Published - 28 Dec 2012
Externally published	Yes

Access to Document

10.1371/journal.pone.0053244Licence: CC BY

ArticleFinal published version, 418 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{60ddc032b7504bbe8057d3a30ef570ac,

title = "The Effectiveness of an Online Support Group for Members of the Community with Depression: A Randomised Controlled Trial",

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.",

author = "Griffiths, {Kathleen M.} and Mackinnon, {Andrew J.} and Crisp, {Dimity A.} and Helen Christensen and Kylie Bennett and Louise Farrer",

year = "2012",

month = dec,

day = "28",

doi = "10.1371/journal.pone.0053244",

language = "English",

volume = "7",

pages = "1--9",

journal = "PLoS One",

issn = "1932-6203",

publisher = "Public Library of Science",

number = "12",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Effectiveness of an Online Support Group for Members of the Community with Depression

T2 - A Randomised Controlled Trial

AU - Griffiths, Kathleen M.

AU - Mackinnon, Andrew J.

AU - Crisp, Dimity A.

AU - Christensen, Helen

AU - Bennett, Kylie

AU - Farrer, Louise

PY - 2012/12/28

Y1 - 2012/12/28

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84871698689&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0053244

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0053244

M3 - Article

C2 - 23285271

AN - SCOPUS:84871698689

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 7

SP - 1

EP - 9

JO - PLoS One

JF - PLoS One

IS - 12

M1 - e53244

ER -

The Effectiveness of an Online Support Group for Members of the Community with Depression: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this