OBJECTIVE

To ascertain whether sociodemographic and health-related characteristics known from previous research to have a substantive impact on recovery from depression modified the effect of a digital intervention designed to improve depressive symptoms (CONEMO).

METHODS

The CONEMO study consisted of two randomized controlled trials, one conducted in Lima, Peru, and one in São Paulo, Brazil. As a secondary trial plan analysis, mixed logistic regression was used to explore interactions between the treatment arm and subgroups of interest defined by characteristics measured before randomization - suicidal ideation, race/color, age, gender, income, type of mobile phone, alcohol misuse, tobacco use, and diabetes/hypertension - in both trials. We estimated interaction effects between the treatment group and these subgroup factors for the secondary outcomes using linear mixed regression models.

RESULTS

Increased effects of the CONEMO intervention on the primary outcome (reduction of at least 50% in depressive symptom scores at 3-month follow-up) were observed among older and wealthier participants in the Lima trial (p = 0.030 and p = 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

There was no evidence of such differential effects in São Paulo, and no evidence of impact of any other secondary outcomes in either trial.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT02846662 (São Paulo, Brazil - SP), NCT03026426 (Lima, Peru - LI).