Randomized Trial of Depression Follow-up Care by Email

Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

Status: Completed

Conditions: Depressive Disorders

Treatments: Behavioral: E-mail follow up care

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01449890

DRV0422/00-40-65-50-24

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full 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.

Enrollment: 92 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

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

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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92 participants in 2 patient groups

E-mail follow up care

Experimental group

Description:

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.

Treatment:

Behavioral: E-mail follow up care

Treatment as usual

No Intervention group

Description:

After having terminated inpatient CBT patients receive treatment as usual within routine care.