Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online Educational Modules and Interactive Workshops in Alleviating Symptoms of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Pilot Trial
Introduction Depression is a common health concern in primary care with barriers to treatment well documented in the literature. Innovative online psychoeducational approaches to address barriers to care have been well received and can be cost effective. This pilot trial evaluated the effectiveness...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2150132720971158 |
| _version_ | 1818405796177772544 |
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| author | Luis A. Murillo Emily Follo April Smith Julienne Balestrier Deborah L. Bevvino |
| author_facet | Luis A. Murillo Emily Follo April Smith Julienne Balestrier Deborah L. Bevvino |
| author_sort | Luis A. Murillo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction Depression is a common health concern in primary care with barriers to treatment well documented in the literature. Innovative online psychoeducational approaches to address barriers to care have been well received and can be cost effective. This pilot trial evaluated the effectiveness of an online psychoeducation curriculum intended to alleviate symptoms of depression while utilizing minimal staff resources. Methods A small (n = 29) randomized control pilot study was conducted. Online psychoeducational content was delivered in 5 to 10-minute videos over 8 weeks. Participants engaged in moderated discussions on workshop topics. The Patient Health Care Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to measure pre/post scores. Two Likert scale questions were used to determine subjective changes in understanding of depression and coping skills. Results Paired T -test analysis showed an average PHQ-9 improvement of 4.37 ( P = .01) in the intervention arm and 1.81 ( P = .172) in the control group. No significant difference in delta PHQ-9 score was found between groups via difference in difference analysis ( P = .185). Effect size was 0.59. No improvement in Likert scores for question 1 or 2 were detected by paired T test in either group. Conclusion This pilot trial of interactive online psychoeducational content shows initial promise as there was a significant improvement in PHQ-9 scores within the intervention arm. The comparison of delta scores between intervention and control arms was not statistically significant although this is likely due to the underpowered nature of the pilot trial. This data trend justifies the need for a larger validation trial of this intervention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T09:01:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f4c55c513f624aa4af136c37049a652a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-1327 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T09:01:44Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-f4c55c513f624aa4af136c37049a652a2022-12-21T23:08:48ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Primary Care & Community Health2150-13272020-11-011110.1177/2150132720971158Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online Educational Modules and Interactive Workshops in Alleviating Symptoms of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Pilot TrialLuis A. Murillo0Emily Follo1April Smith2Julienne Balestrier3Deborah L. Bevvino4Reading Hospital, Reading, PA, USAReading Hospital, Reading, PA, USAReading Hospital, Reading, PA, USAReading Hospital, Reading, PA, USAReading Hospital, Reading, PA, USAIntroduction Depression is a common health concern in primary care with barriers to treatment well documented in the literature. Innovative online psychoeducational approaches to address barriers to care have been well received and can be cost effective. This pilot trial evaluated the effectiveness of an online psychoeducation curriculum intended to alleviate symptoms of depression while utilizing minimal staff resources. Methods A small (n = 29) randomized control pilot study was conducted. Online psychoeducational content was delivered in 5 to 10-minute videos over 8 weeks. Participants engaged in moderated discussions on workshop topics. The Patient Health Care Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to measure pre/post scores. Two Likert scale questions were used to determine subjective changes in understanding of depression and coping skills. Results Paired T -test analysis showed an average PHQ-9 improvement of 4.37 ( P = .01) in the intervention arm and 1.81 ( P = .172) in the control group. No significant difference in delta PHQ-9 score was found between groups via difference in difference analysis ( P = .185). Effect size was 0.59. No improvement in Likert scores for question 1 or 2 were detected by paired T test in either group. Conclusion This pilot trial of interactive online psychoeducational content shows initial promise as there was a significant improvement in PHQ-9 scores within the intervention arm. The comparison of delta scores between intervention and control arms was not statistically significant although this is likely due to the underpowered nature of the pilot trial. This data trend justifies the need for a larger validation trial of this intervention.https://doi.org/10.1177/2150132720971158 |
| spellingShingle | Luis A. Murillo Emily Follo April Smith Julienne Balestrier Deborah L. Bevvino Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online Educational Modules and Interactive Workshops in Alleviating Symptoms of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Pilot Trial Journal of Primary Care & Community Health |
| title | Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online Educational Modules and Interactive Workshops in Alleviating Symptoms of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Pilot Trial |
| title_full | Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online Educational Modules and Interactive Workshops in Alleviating Symptoms of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Pilot Trial |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online Educational Modules and Interactive Workshops in Alleviating Symptoms of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Pilot Trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online Educational Modules and Interactive Workshops in Alleviating Symptoms of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Pilot Trial |
| title_short | Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online Educational Modules and Interactive Workshops in Alleviating Symptoms of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Pilot Trial |
| title_sort | evaluating the effectiveness of online educational modules and interactive workshops in alleviating symptoms of mild to moderate depression a pilot trial |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/2150132720971158 |
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