Guided Self-Help for Depression: Development and Trial Results
Author Information
Author(s): Karina Lovell, Peter Bower, David Richards, Michael Barkham, Bonnie Sibbald, Chris Roberts, Linda Davies, Anne Rogers, Judith Gellatly, Sue Hennessy
Primary Institution: The University of Manchester
Hypothesis
Can a guided self-help intervention for depression be effectively developed and tested in primary care?
Conclusion
The guided self-help intervention developed did not show significant effectiveness in improving outcomes for patients with mild to moderate depression.
Supporting Evidence
- The intervention was developed using a systematic review and consensus process.
- Fidelity to the intervention protocol was generally high.
- Acceptability to both professionals and patients was reported as high.
- The effect size of the intervention on outcomes was small.
Takeaway
This study tried to help people with depression by giving them tools to help themselves, but it didn't work as well as hoped.
Methodology
The study involved a modelling phase followed by an exploratory randomized controlled trial to test the intervention's fidelity, acceptability, and effectiveness.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the small sample size and the nature of participant recruitment.
Limitations
The small sample size and high attrition rate limited the ability to detect significant effects.
Participant Demographics
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Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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