The Effectiveness of an Online Support Group for Members of the Community with Depression: A Randomised Controlled Trial

BackgroundInternet support groups (ISGs) are popular, particularly among people with depression, but there is little high quality evidence concerning their effectiveness.
AimThe study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an ISG for reducing depressive symptoms among community members when used alone and in combination with an automated Internet-based psychotherapy training program.
MethodVolunteers with elevated psychological distress were identified using a community-based screening postal survey. Participants were randomised to one of four 12-week conditions: depression Internet Support Group (ISG), automated depression Internet Training Program (ITP), combination of the two (ITP+ISG), or a control website with delayed access to e-couch at 6 months. Assessments were conducted at baseline, post-intervention, 6 and 12 months.
ResultsThere was no change in depressive symptoms relative to control after 3 months of exposure to the ISG. However, both the ISG alone and the combined ISG+ITP group showed significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms at 6 and 12 months follow-up than the control group. The ITP program was effective relative to control at post-intervention but not at 6 months.
ConclusionsISGs for depression are promising and warrant further empirical investigation.
Trial RegistrationControlled-Trials.com ISRCTN65657330

背景 互联网互助小组（Internet Support Groups, ISGs）在大众中广受欢迎，尤其在抑郁症群体中拥有大量受众，但目前针对其干预有效性的高质量研究证据仍较为匮乏。
研究目的 本研究旨在评估单一使用互联网互助小组，以及将其与自动化互联网心理治疗培训项目联合使用时，对社区人群抑郁症状的改善效果。
研究方法 本研究通过社区筛查邮寄问卷的方式，招募存在显著心理困扰的志愿者作为研究对象。将受试者随机分配至4个为期12周的干预组之一：抑郁症互联网互助小组（Internet Support Group, ISG）、抑郁症自动化互联网培训项目（Internet Training Program, ITP）、两者联合干预组（ITP+ISG），以及延迟6个月方可访问e-couch平台的对照组网站。评估分别于基线、干预后、6个月及12个月时开展。
研究结果 参与互联网互助小组干预3个月后，受试者的抑郁症状与对照组相比无显著变化。但在6个月及12个月随访时，单一互联网互助小组组与联合干预组的抑郁症状改善幅度均显著优于对照组。而自动化互联网培训项目仅在干预后阶段较对照组展现出症状改善效果，该优势在6个月随访时不复存在。
研究结论 针对抑郁症的互联网互助小组展现出良好的应用前景，值得开展更多实证研究以深入验证其效果。
试验注册 Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN65657330