Effectiveness of Web-based Treatment for Depression in Patients With Neurologic Disorders
Condition: Depression
MeSH terms: Depression; Depressive Disorder
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      200 persons (100 with multiple sclerosis and 100 with epilepsy) with depressive symptoms are
      recruited via the multiple sclerosis clinics of the University Medical Center
      Hamburg-Eppendorf and the epilepsy centre Alsterdorf and randomly assigned either to the
      online program deprexis or to a wait-list control condition. All participants receive
      free-of-charge online access to deprexis either immediately or with a six month delay.

      At three time points (1. prior to intervention, 2. after completion of the intervention nine
      weeks later and 3. at follow-up six month later), both groups are assessed via an anonymous
      online survey, which was implemented using the software package OPST®.

      The survey consists of different questionnaires. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
      represents the primary outcome (IIT analysis for pre versus post). It is assumed that the
      severity of depressive symptoms will improve to a significantly greater extent in the
      deprexis than in the wait-list control condition in the course of nine weeks and will be
      maintained in a six month follow-up.
    

Detailed description: 
      Deprexis is a web-based intervention that can be obtained online (www.deprexis.com). Deprexis
      encompasses 10 content modules with a strong focus on evidence-based cognitive-behavioral
      techniques, either from its so-called first (behavior-oriented), second (cognitive-oriented)
      or third wave (e.g. mindfulness and acceptance): (1) psychoeducation, (2) behavioral
      activation, (3) cognitive modification, (4) mindfulness and acceptance, (5) interpersonal
      skills, (6) relaxation, physical exercise and lifestyle modification, (7) problem solving and
      (8) expressive writing and forgiveness, (9) positive psychology and (10) dreamwork and
      emotion-focus interventions. The ten modules are framed by one introductory and one summary
      module. Communication is carried out online via simulated dialogues. Patients have to respond
      to narrative text messages from the virtual therapists in multiple-choice response fashion,
      enabling them to express doubt, to affirm a particular message or to request more
      information. Text messages are aided with drawings, photographs and animations. The program
      is adaptive and selects exercises and contents on the basis of the subject's response. The
      modules are sequential and each module refers and builds upon previous one. Modules can (and
      should be) repeated within the intervention period.
    

Intervention name(s): Deprexis; Wait-list
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): web-based treatment program for depression; the wait-list group receives Deprexis after 6 month
Other intervention name(s): web-based treatment program for depression; web-based treatment for depression after 6 month
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Depression; Online-Therapy; Deprexis; Self-help