Meeting Psychiatric Challenges in Primary Care Via Low-Threshold Digital Mental Health Interventions

This study evaluates potential help for mild to moderate psychological distress in primary care patients. The study offers a choice between two interventions, both offered online (in a digital format). One intervention targets five key daily behaviors found to reduce depression and anxiety in earlier studies. The second intervention, also found to reduce depression and anxiety in earlier studies, targets relationship issues through a forgiveness process.

The study is designed as a single-case study where each individual is followed in detail over a period of 10 weeks, with a one-week follow-up after 3 months. In the first two weeks, participants fill in daily mood assessments and answer a brief questionnaire once every week. Then, participants start the intervention they chose, and continue to fill in the same questions, both daily and once a week. The intervention phase lasts five weeks. Then participants continue to fill in the daily mood assessments and weekly questionnaire for three more weeks. After three months, participants do the daily and weekly assessments for one final week.

The results will be analyzed at the individual level and, if enough participants join, at a group level. No one will be personally identified in any way when results are reported.

The study is exploratory, meaning that the researchers want to know which interventions participants tend to choose most often, whether the interventions appeal to participants, how long they stay in the study, and how they use the intervention material. The researchers also want to know what changes participants think would be needed for future studies or implementation in primary care clinics.