Evaluation of a Website to Improve Depression Literacy in Adoldescents
Condition: Depressive Disorder; Depression in Adolescence
MeSH terms: Depression; Depressive Disorder
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of the website "ich bin
      alles" (https://www.ich-bin-alles.de/) to improve depression literacy (knowledge about
      depression, which aid the recognition, treatment or prevention of depression) in healthy
      adolescents. The investigators will examine whether the website improves depression literacy
      in healthy adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. The investigators will also assess the
      acceptability of the website among adolescents.
    

Detailed description: 
      Few young people with major depressive disorder seek professional treatment in time. Concerns
      about social stigma, confidentiality, and limited knowledge about mental health conditions,
      such as depression, or mental health services are some of the main barriers to seek
      treatment. To address these problems, we developed an evidence-based website "ich bin alles"
      (https://www.ich-bin-alles.de/) to improve depression literacy.

      To improve depression literacy, the website provides general information about depression as
      psychiatric disorder in adolescents (e.g., symptoms, causes, course and treatment of
      depression). Furthermore, the website provides information about self-help strategies for
      depression and prevention of depression; i.e., strategies for promoting mental health (e.g.,
      reducing stress, doing exercise, undertaking positive activities), which are meant to serve
      as an addition to professional treatments of depression or to promote mental health in
      adolescents.

      Target groups of the website are adolescents aged 12 to 18 years seeking help for depression,
      as well as healthy adolescents seeking information about mental health promotion or
      depression. Easy access to information about depression would make early recognition of
      depression more likely and engage young people to seek help for depression.

      Since the website targets two different groups, the investigators will evaluate the website
      accordingly:

      Target group 1: Adolescents with a major depressive disorder (acute or remitted) Target group
      2: Healthy Adolescents (no mental health condition) The current study will focus on target
      group 2. A study focusing on target group 1 can be found in a separately registered clinical
      trial on clinicaltrials.gov.

      The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of the website
      "ich bin alles" (https://www.ich-bin-alles.de/) to improve depression literacy in healthy
      adolescents.
    

Intervention name(s): Strategies for promoting mental health; General information about depression
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): Before starting the intervention, the participants are told that they will be shown parts of a website about depression. The participants are instructed to carefully attend to the website (e.g., to read the text precisely, to hear attentively to the podcasts and images on the website). The time window spent for the reception of each part of the website are fixed.
The participants in this intervention group will only be shown parts of the website regarding strategies for promoting mental health; Before starting the intervention, the participants are told that they will be shown parts of a website about depression. The participants are instructed to carefully attend to the website (e.g., to read the text precisely, to hear attentively to the podcasts and to view carefully the videos and images on the website). The time window spent for the reception of each part of the website are fixed.
The participants in this intervention group will only be shown parts of the website regarding general information about depression
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Participants are assigned to two intervention groups in parallel for the duration of the study
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: Knowledge; Mental Health; Depression Literacy; Website; Online; Adolescence; Youth