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The impact of providing personalized depression risk information on self‐help and help‐seeking behaviors: Results from a mixed methods randomized controlled trial
Author(s) -
Wang Jian Li,
Eccles Heidi,
Schmitz Norbert,
Patten Scott B.,
Lashewicz Bonnie,
Manuel Douglas
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
depression and anxiety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.634
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6394
pISSN - 1091-4269
DOI - 10.1002/da.23192
Subject(s) - randomized controlled trial , depression (economics) , psychology , clinical psychology , intervention (counseling) , medicine , psychiatry , economics , macroeconomics
Objectives To evaluate the impact of providing personalized depression risk information on self‐help and help‐seeking behaviors among individuals who are at high risk of having a major depressive episode (MDE). Materials and Methods In a mixed methods randomized controlled trial, participants who were at high risk of having a MDE, were recruited from across Canada, and were randomized into intervention ( n = 358) and control ( n = 354) groups. Participants in the intervention group received their personalized depression risk estimated by sex‐specific risk prediction models for MDE. All participants were assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Results Repeated measure mixed effects modeling showed significant between group differences in self‐help scores. In the complete case analysis, the between group difference in mean self‐help change score was 1.13 at 12 months (effect size = 0.16). Among participants who reported “fair” or “poor health,” the between group difference in mean self‐help change score was 2.78 at 12 months (effect size = 0.35). The qualitative data revealed three themes and the findings are consistent with the quantitative results. Conclusions Providing personalized depression risk information has a positive impact on self‐help in high‐risk individuals, particularly in those with poor health.