Web-based guided self-help for employees with depressive symptoms (Happy@Work): design of a randomized controlled trial

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • A. S. Geraedts
  • Annet Kleiboer
  • N. W. Wiezer
  • W. van Mechelen
  • Pim Cuijpers

Background: Depressive disorders are highly prevalent in the working population and are associated with excessive costs for both society and companies. Effective treatment for employees with depressive symptoms in occupational health care is limited. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an indicated preventive web-based guided self-help course for employees with depressive symptoms. Methods: The study is a two-arm randomized controlled trial comparing a web-based guided self-help course with care-as-usual. The self-help course consists of 6 weekly lessons. Weekly support will be provided by a coach via the website. Subjects in the care-as-usual group do not receive any treatment in addition to regular care. 200 white collar workers from several national and international companies in the Netherlands will be recruited via different methods such as banners on the company's intranet, pamphlets and posters. Subjects will be included when they: have elevated depressive symptoms (score ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale), are 18 years of age or older, have access to the Internet and can be contacted via e-mail. Exclusion criteria are: partial or full work absenteeism, a legal labor dispute with the employer and receiving treatment from the company's occupational health care at study entrance.The primary outcome is depressive symptoms. Secondary outcomes include work absenteeism, work performance, burnout, anxiety, quality of life, health care use and production losses. Outcome data will be collected at 8 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after baseline. Analyses will be based on the intention-to-treat principle. The cost-effectiveness analyses will be performed from a societal and a company's perspective. A process evaluation will be conducted alongside the study.Discussion: This study evaluates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a web-based guided self-help course for employees with depressive symptoms. This study could stimulate the use of e-mental health interventions in the worksite setting.Trial registration: Nederlands Trial Register (NTR): TC2993.

Original languageEnglish
Article number61
JournalBMC Psychiatry
Volume13
Issue numberFebruary
Number of pages10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18.02.2013

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study is funded by Body@Work Research Center for Physical Activity, Work and Health, Amsterdam and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Amsterdam and VU University Medical Center Amsterdam.

    Research areas

  • Psychology - Internet, Depression, Absenteeism, Employees, Occupational therapy, Self-help, Cognitive therapy, Problem solving, Randomized trial

Documents

DOI

Recently viewed

Researchers

  1. Michaela Stecher

Publications

  1. Non-acceptances in context
  2. Integration of expertise or collaborative practice?
  3. Tree species and functional traits but not species richness affect interrill erosion processes in young subtropical forests
  4. Testing Lazear's jack-of-all-trades view of entrepreneurship with German micro data
  5. Nutzen – Nutzung - Nutzer_innen
  6. Teaching TetR to recognize a new inducer
  7. Developing and Evaluating Entrepreneurship Curricula
  8. An existential perspective on the psychological function of shamans
  9. A learning factory approach on machine learning in production companies
  10. Globalization’s limits to the environmental state? Integrating telecoupling into global environmental governance
  11. Reframing Business Sustainability Decision-Making with Value-Focussed Thinking
  12. Green Big Data: A Green IT/Green IS Perspective on Big Data
  13. The “distinctiveness of cities” and distinctions in cities
  14. Förderung von Gesundheitskompetenzen mit Location-based Games. Eine partizipative Entwicklung
  15. The contribution of material circularity to sustainability—Recycling and reuse of textiles
  16. Handbuch Integrated Reporting
  17. Globalisierung
  18. ephemera: theory & politics in organization
  19. Weiterentwicklung der Unternehmensberichterstattung
  20. Low genetic diversity of a high mountain burnet moth species in the Pyrenees
  21. Optimierung und Überbietung
  22. Kunst und Globalisierung
  23. Einführung – Die fragile Autorität der Judikative
  24. A Sociological Reflection on the Concert Venue
  25. The legal framework and an overview of electoral legislation
  26. Die Inszenierung des mobilen Selbst
  27. Organizational Behaviour - Verhalten in Organisationen
  28. Grundkonzeption einer 'Kritischen Theorie der Hybridität' und Implikationen für "nachhaltige Wissenschaften"
  29. Astronaut
  30. Transmitting Culture within Linguistic Alterity
  31. Paradigma III Fundamentaltheologisch IV. Ethisch
  32. "Wir sind immer noch sprachlos"
  33. Neuluthertum II. Theologiegeschichtlich
  34. Überwachung operationeller Risiken mit Frühwarnindikatoren
  35. Abschreiben – Ein Problem in mathematischen Lehrveranstaltungen?
  36. Expression of cyclooxygenase isozymes during morphogenesis and cycling of pelage hair follicles in mouse skin.
  37. Corporate Difference
  38. Die Moderationsmethode als Mittel zur Gestaltung von Präventions- und Kooperationsprojekten
  39. Die schriftliche Berichterstattung des Aufsichts- und Verwaltungsrats zur Internen Revision
  40. The effects of light and soil conditions on the species richness of the ground vegetation of deciduous forests in northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein)
  41. The Termination of International Sanctions
  42. Talking to the Holy Spirit and Growling with the Bears
  43. § 257 HGB
  44. Nachwort in "Suchen wir Zarzura"
  45. Öffentliches Wirtschaftsrecht
  46. Deutsches Case Law? - zur Anwendung englischen Rechts unter § 293 ZPO
  47. § 43 VwGO (Feststellungsklage)
  48. Gute Arbeit im Mittelstand
  49. Wenn Batterien unter die Haut gehen