Efficacy of a psychological online intervention for depression in people with epilepsy: A randomized controlled trial

Summary Objective Depression is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder in persons with epilepsy ( PWE s). Despite its major impact on quality of life and risk of suicide, most PWE s are not treated for depression. A current challenge in mental health care is how to close this treatment gap and increase access to psychological services. Psychological online interventions ( POI s) have shown efficacy in improving depression among individuals without neurologic disorders. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility and efficacy of a psychological online intervention for depression (Deprexis) in PWE s who have symptoms of depression. Methods Participants with self‐reported epilepsy and subjective complaints of depressive symptoms were randomized to an intervention condition (Deprexis) or to a waiting list control ( WLC ) condition. After 9 weeks, participants were invited to complete an online reassessment. Results Relative to the waiting list group, program users experienced a significant symptom decline on the Beck Depression Inventory ‐ I ( BDI ‐I, primary outcome) with a moderate effect size in the complete observations analysis and a small effect size in the intention‐to‐treat analysis. Furthermore, there was a significant improvement with a moderate effect size on the “energy/fatigue” subscale of the Quality of Life In Epilepsy Inventory ‐ 31 ( QOLIE ‐31). Significance The results of this trial suggest that POI s may be a feasible and beneficial tool for PWE s who have comorbid depressive symptoms.