Clinical trial NCT02468466: A Community-based Depression Screening Intervention for Middle-aged Suicide
Official title: Impact of a Community-based Screening and Educational Intervention for Depression on Suicide Rates Among Japanese Middle-aged Adults
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Suicide
Keywords: suicide
prevention
Lead sponsor: Aomori University of Health and Welfare
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2015-06-10
Enrollment: 89700
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 36
Maximum age (years): 64
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a community-based depression-screening program for suicide prevention among middle-aged adults, the investigators conducted a quasi-experimental intervention study, using a parallel cluster design with communities at municipal level as the unit of allocation and individuals as the unit of analysis.

Detailed description: Suicide is a major cause of premature death, particularly among middle-aged adults, in the majority of Western and Asian countries. A strong association of suicide and depression often indicates the necessity of a high-risk approach for suicide prevention. Improvements in identification and treatment can lead to better depression outcomes and suicide prevention. The investigators hypothesize that a 4-year community-based intervention, consisting of universal depression screening and subsequent care support in the target areas and health education programs, would result in reduced suicide rates among the middle-aged adult population in areas with a high suicide rate.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* A municipal area located in the following 4 Aomori Second Medical Zones: Hachinohe, Kamitosan, Aomori, and Tsugaru.
* A municipal area with the higher suicide rate than the prefectural average.
* A municipal area having the sufficient and coverable size to serve the intervention (population 10,000-99,999).

Exclusion Criteria:

* A municipal area receiving further intervention including a depression screening for middle-aged adults.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in suicide rates among adults aged 40-64 years between the 4-year pre- and implementation periods.
timeFrame: 4 years pre versus 4 years post
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Invitation rate in the screening component
timeFrame: 4 years post
measure: Participation rate in the screening component
timeFrame: 4 years post
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Fujisaki
country: Japan
facility: Control group
state: Aomori
city: Gonohe
country: Japan
facility: Intervention group
state: Aomori
city: Hashikami
country: Japan
facility: Intervention group
state: Aomori
city: Hirakawa
country: Japan
facility: Intervention group
state: Aomori
city: Hiranai
country: Japan
facility: Control group
state: Aomori
city: Nanbu
country: Japan
facility: Intervention group
state: Aomori
city: Oirase
country: Japan
facility: Intervention group
state: Aomori
city: Owani
country: Japan
facility: Control group
state: Aomori
city: Rokunohe
country: Japan
facility: Control group
state: Aomori
city: Tohoku
country: Japan
facility: Control group
state: Aomori
city: Towada
country: Japan
facility: Control group
state: Aomori
Study officials:
affiliation: Aomori University of Health and Welfare
name: Hirofumi Oyama, MD, PhD
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References:
citation: Oyama H, Sakashita T. Effects of universal screening for depression among middle-aged adults in a community with a high suicide rate. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2014 Apr;202(4):280-6. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000119.
citation: Oyama H, Sakashita T. Differences in specific depressive symptoms among community-dwelling middle-aged Japanese adults before and after a universal screening intervention. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2014 Feb;49(2):251-8. doi: 10.1007/s00127-013-0735-6. Epub 2013 Jul 4.