Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.48548/pubdata-1472
Resource typeJournal Article
Title(s)Are web-based stress management interventions effective as an indirect treatment for depression? An individual participant data meta-analysis of six randomised trials
DOI10.48548/pubdata-1472
Handle20.500.14123/1542
CreatorHarrer, Mathias  0000-0001-7016-2687
Nixon, Patricia  0000-0002-9747-3845
Sprenger, Antonia Anabella  0000-0002-1180-7702
Heber, Elena  0000-0002-3438-0756
Boß, Leif  0000-0001-9012-0839
Heckendorf, Hanna  0000-0002-8665-0439
Buntrock, Claudia  0000-0002-4974-5455
Ebert, David Daniel  0000-0001-6820-0146
Lehr, Dirk  0000-0002-5560-3605
AbstractQuestion Depression is highly prevalent and associated with numerous adverse consequences for both individuals and society. Due to low uptake of direct treatment, interventions that target related, but less stigmatising problems, such as perceived stress, have emerged as a new research paradigm. This individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis examines if a web-based stress management intervention can be used as an ’indirect’ treatment of depression. Study selection and analysis Bayesian one-stage models were used to estimate pooled effects on depressive symptom severity, minimally important improvement and reliable deterioration. The dose– response relationship was examined using multilevel additive models, and IPD network meta-analysis was employed to estimate the effect of guidance. Findings In total, N=1235 patients suffering from clinical-level depression from K=6 randomised trials were included. Moderate-to-large effects were found on depressive symptom severity at 7 weeks post-intervention (d=−0.65; 95% credibility interval (CrI): −0.84 to −0.48) as measured with the Center for Epidemiological Studies’ Depression Scale. Effects were sustained at 3-month follow-up (d=−0.74; 95% CrI: −1.01 to −0.48). Post-intervention symptom severity was linearly related to the number of completed sessions. The incremental impact of guidance was estimated at d=−0.25 (95% CrI: −1.30 to 0.82), with a 35% posterior probability that guided and unguided formats produce equivalent effects. Conclusions Our results indicate that web-based stress management can serve as an indirect treatment, yielding effects comparable with direct interventions for depression. Further research is needed to determine if such formats can indeed increase the utilisation of evidence-based treatment, and to corroborate the favourable effects for human guidance.
LanguageEnglish
Year of publication in PubData2024
Publishing typeParallel publication
Publication versionPublished version
Date issued2024-02-13
Creation contextResearch
NotesThis publication was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Published byMedien- und Informationszentrum, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
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