Randomized Trial of Depression Follow-up Care by Email

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Depressive Disorders
• Interventions: Behavioral: E-mail follow up care

• Registration Number: NCT01449890
• Lead Sponsor: Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

Brief Summary

The primary objective of this study is to test in a randomized effectiveness trial if e-mail delivered cognitive behavioural treatment is an effective follow-up care approach in the treatment of depression under clinically representative conditions.

Detailed Description

Depression belongs to the most prevalent mental disorders and often goes along with a high burden of disease. Although the efficacy and the effectiveness of psychological treatments for depressive disorders have been demonstrated, there remains the problem of maintaining the benefits achieved during the initial treatment phase. Therefore options of follow-up care have to be considered. Since access to psychotherapeutic treatments is limited and costly, internet-based interventions can offer a feasible opportunity for follow-up care in order to enhance the long-term effectiveness of psychotherapy.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2011-10-06
• Study First Submitted QC: 2011-10-07
• Study First Posted: 2011-10-10
• Study Start: 2012-09
• Primary Completion: 2013-09
• Study Completion: 2013-11
• Status Verified: 2015-06
• Last Update Submitted: 2015-06-03
• Last Update Posted: 2015-06-04

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 92

Inclusion Criteria

• Depressive disorder: F32.0-F32.2; F33.0-F33.2; F34.1 according to ICD-10
• Precursory CBT
• Internet access

Exclusion Criteria

• No knowledge of the German language
• Risk of suicide
• Acute psychosis or psychotic symptoms
• Established concurrent in vivo CBT after discharge from inpatient CBT

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
E-mail follow up care	E-mail follow up care	After having terminated inpatient CBT patients receive follow up care by email for 12 weeks (on average one contact per week). The follow up care aims at supporting the patients in continuing exercises they have learned during the initial treatment phase in order to cope with depression, e.g. integrating positive activities in their all day life or monitoring the interdependence of cognition, emotion and behaviour.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Measure of the severity of depression - Beck Depression Inventory (BDI- II)	Change in the BDI-II from baseline (beginning of treatment) to follow up (3 months after termination of the follow-up care)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Depressive relapse/recurrence	Measured at follow up (3 months after termination of the follow-up care)
Measure of health related quality of life - SF-8	Change in the SF-8 from baseline (beginning of treatment) to follow up (3 months after termination of the follow-up care	SF-8: short version of the SF -36
GAD-7	Change in the GAD-7 from baseline (beginning of treatment) to follow up (3 months after termination of the follow-up care)	Measure for generalized anxiety disorder

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Centre of Psychosocial Medicine, Department of Medical Psychology; 🇩🇪 Hamburg, Germany