Online Support Groups for Depression and Anxiety

NCT ID: NCT01149265

Last Updated: 2010-07-21

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

UNKNOWN

Clinical Phase

PHASE1/PHASE2

Total Enrollment

1000 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2010-05-31

Study Completion Date

2011-02-28

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of online support groups for anxiety and depression.

Detailed Description

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In recent years the number of online support groups for conditions like depression and anxiety has grown rapidly. Millions of people are thought to be using them around the world. This research aims to help find out whether the use of online support groups is beneficial and to learn more about what happens in these groups.

This research will compare online support groups with expressive writing. Expressive writing involves people writing about their thoughts and feelings, often upsetting ones, for a short period of time. In online support groups giving and receiving support from others can be helpful while expressive writing about emotional issues can be cathartic.

1,000 participants will be recruited online from the UK, USA and Canada and randomly assigned to either an existing online support group or to an expressive writing condition.

Conditions

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Depression Anxiety

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Online support group

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Online support group

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Expressive writing involves people writing about their thoughts and feelings, often upsetting ones, for a short period of time.

Expressive writing

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Expressive writing

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Online support groups are internet forums where like-minded people give and receive both informational and emotional support.

Interventions

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Online support group

Expressive writing involves people writing about their thoughts and feelings, often upsetting ones, for a short period of time.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Expressive writing

Online support groups are internet forums where like-minded people give and receive both informational and emotional support.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Self-defined depression \& anxiety
* Resident in the UK, US or Canada
* Access to the internet

Exclusion Criteria

\-
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University College, London

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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University College London

Principal Investigators

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Chris Barker

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University College, London

Locations

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University College London

London, , United Kingdom

Site Status

Countries

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United Kingdom

References

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Dean J, Potts HW, Barker C. Direction to an Internet Support Group Compared With Online Expressive Writing for People With Depression And Anxiety: A Randomized Trial. JMIR Ment Health. 2016 May 17;3(2):e12. doi: 10.2196/mental.5133.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 27189142 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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UCL1376/001

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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