Quality of Life Outcomes in Internet-Delivered (Space from Depression) Treatment for Depression

Abstract

Quality of Life (QoL) outcomes in interventions for depression are an area in the literature that has received little focus, particularly in trials relating to internet-delivered psychological interventions. Evaluating QoL outcomes are necessary to more completely understand if an intervention is successful in the treatment of depression, given that a decrease in negative symptoms in depression does not equate to synonymous increase in QoL. This secondary analysis study is aimed to examine the effects of an internet-delivered intervention for a mild to moderate depressed sample on QoL. 188 participants were randomly allocated to the Space from Depression intervention (n = 96) or a waiting-list group (n = 92). The intervention is an eight-module online cognitive-behavioural therapy intervention for depression. The trial had a duration of 8 weeks and the results were explored up to 3 months later. QoL was measured using the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) at different time points. The intervention produced positive effects in the global scores of QoL at post-treatment an these results were maintained at follow-up, although no differences between conditions were found. Analyses of the QoL dimensions showed a significant improvement on the Anxiety/depression dimension compared to controls, but no effects were found in other dimensions. The results suggest that internet-delivered interventions has the potential to produce changes in QoL. These results can potentially be understood by the lower impairments within a mild to moderate depressed sample. Further inferences about the sensitivity of the EQ-5D measure within this population are discussed in light of the findings.