Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
PLoS One. 2012;7(12):e53244. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053244. Epub 2012 Dec 28.
Internet support groups (ISGs) are popular, particularly among people with depression, but there is little high quality evidence concerning their effectiveness.
The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an ISG for reducing depressive symptoms among community members when used alone and in combination with an automated Internet-based psychotherapy training program.
Volunteers with elevated psychological distress were identified using a community-based screening postal survey. Participants were randomised to one of four 12-week conditions: depression Internet Support Group (ISG), automated depression Internet Training Program (ITP), combination of the two (ITP+ISG), or a control website with delayed access to e-couch at 6 months. Assessments were conducted at baseline, post-intervention, 6 and 12 months.
There was no change in depressive symptoms relative to control after 3 months of exposure to the ISG. However, both the ISG alone and the combined ISG+ITP group showed significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms at 6 and 12 months follow-up than the control group. The ITP program was effective relative to control at post-intervention but not at 6 months.
ISGs for depression are promising and warrant further empirical investigation.
Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN65657330.
互联网支持小组（ISG）很受欢迎，尤其是在抑郁症患者中，但关于其有效性的高质量证据很少。
本研究旨在评估单独使用和与基于互联网的自动化心理治疗培训计划联合使用时，ISG 对减少社区成员抑郁症状的效果。
使用基于社区的筛选邮寄调查确定具有较高心理困扰的志愿者。参与者被随机分配到以下四种 12 周的条件之一：抑郁互联网支持小组（ISG）、自动化抑郁互联网培训计划（ITP）、两者的组合（ITP+ISG）或具有延迟至 6 个月访问电子沙发的控制网站。评估在基线、干预后、6 个月和 12 个月进行。
与对照组相比，在接触 ISG 3 个月后，抑郁症状没有变化。然而，单独的 ISG 和联合的 ISG+ITP 组在 6 个月和 12 个月的随访中显示出比对照组更显著的抑郁症状减轻。与对照组相比，ITP 方案在干预后有效，但在 6 个月时无效。
抑郁症的 ISG 有前途，值得进一步的实证研究。
controlled-trials.com ISRCTN65657330。
