Clinical trial NCT01083628: Text Messaging and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression
Official title: Automated Text Messaging to Increase Engagement in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Depression
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Depression
Keywords: mhealth
depression
latinos
text messaging
CBT
SMS
Lead sponsor: University of California, San Francisco
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2010-03-10
Enrollment: 85
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 100
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief summary: This study aims to asses whether adding automated text messaging to group cognitive behavioral therapy for depression increases engagement which may lead to improved outcomes.

Detailed description: Background: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for depression is efficacious, but effectiveness is limited when implemented in low-income settings due to engagement difficulties including nonadherence with skill-building homework and early discontinuation of treatment. Automated messaging can be used in clinical settings to increase dosage of depression treatment and encourage sustained engagement with psychotherapy.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to test whether a text messaging adjunct (mood monitoring text messages, treatment-related text messages, and a clinician dashboard to display patient data) increases engagement and improves clinical outcomes in a group CBT treatment for depression. Specifically, the investigators aim to assess whether the text messaging adjunct led to an increase in group therapy sessions attended, an increase in duration of therapy attended, and reductions in Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item (PHQ-9) symptoms compared with the control condition of standard group CBT in a sample of low-income Spanish speaking Latino patients.

Methods: Patients in an outpatient behavioral health clinic were assigned to standard group CBT for depression (control condition; n=40) or the same treatment with the addition of a text messaging adjunct (n=45). The adjunct consisted of a daily mood monitoring message, a daily message reiterating the theme of that week's content, and medication and appointment reminders. Mood data and qualitative responses were sent to a Web-based platform (HealthySMS) for review by the therapist and displayed in session as a tool for teaching CBT skills.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Participation in CBT group at San Francisco General Hospital

Exclusion Criteria:

* Active suicidality
* Active and severe psychosis

Primary outcomes:
measure: PHQ-9 Depression Symptoms
timeFrame: 16 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Attendance
timeFrame: 16 weeks
measure: Duration of Therapy Attended
timeFrame: 16 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: San Francisco
country: United States
facility: San Francisco General Hospital
state: California
Study officials:
affiliation: University of California, San Francisco
name: Adrian Aguilera, Ph.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Aguilera A, Berridge C. Qualitative feedback from a text messaging intervention for depression: benefits, drawbacks, and cultural differences. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2014 Nov 5;2(4):e46. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.3660.