Abstract
BackgroundDepression is a common condition whose first onset is usually in late adolescence or early adulthood. Internet-based interventions are an effective treatment approach to depression. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of a Dutch online cognitive-behavioural group course known as Master Your Mood (Grip op Je Dip) for young people reporting depressive symptoms. Secondary research questions involve maintenance of effect at 6 months, mediators, and predictors of better outcomes.MethodsWe will conduct a randomised controlled trial (RCT) in which 244 young people aged 16-25 are randomly allocated to the Grip op Je Dip (GOJD) online group course or to a waiting list control group. The participants will be recruited from the general population. The primary outcome measure will be the severity of depressive symptoms according to the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Other outcomes will include anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety, HADS) and mastery (Mastery Scale). Assessments will take place in both groups at baseline and three months later. Effect maintenance will be studied in the GOJD group six months after baseline, with missing data imputed using the expectation-maximisation method. Mediators and predictors of better outcomes will also be identified.DiscussionThe trial should add to the body of knowledge on the effectiveness of Internet-based interventions for depression. To our knowledge, this will be the first RCT on an online group intervention in this field.Trial registrationNTR1694
Highlights
Depression is a common condition whose first onset is usually in late adolescence or early adulthood
Adolescent depression is associated with problems such as poor school performance, school absence and dropout [6], problematic relations with
Subclinical depression has been found to be a strong predictor of the onset of major depressive disorder within the year [13,14]
Summary
Depression is a common condition whose first onset is usually in late adolescence or early adulthood. Depression is a common mental disorder among adolescents and young adults. Subclinical depression is a common condition, with an estimated prevalence of 17% to 21% among Dutch adolescents [10,11]. It involves having some depressive symptoms which together do not meet the full DSM-IV criteria for major depression [12]. Subclinical depression has been found to be a strong predictor of the onset of major depressive disorder within the year [13,14]. Beyond the personal suffering involved, both major and subthreshold depression impose significant economic burdens in terms van der Zanden et al Trials 2011, 12:196 http://www.trialsjournal.com/content/12/1/196 of health care costs and production losses in paid and unpaid work [17,18]
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