National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Front Public Health. 2024 Oct 9;12:1377105. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1377105. eCollection 2024.
This study investigated the effectiveness of a 7-weeks peer-to-peer program for young people aged 15 to 25 years with depression or anxiety symptoms in Denmark.
A total of 483 participants (72% women) participated in the program and the evaluation. The participants completed questionnaires at baseline, postintervention, and at 5-month follow-up to assess changes in depression symptoms (using Beck's Depression Inventory-II), anxiety symptoms (using Spielbergers State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults) and self-efficacy in controlling or managing the illness (using the personal control subscale from the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised). Analyses were done using repeated measures mixed linear regression models. Moreover, a register-based matched comparison group was derived as a comparison to assess changes in being in education and employment at 8-month follow-up.
Within the intervention group, both depression and anxiety scores declined across the 5-month follow-up compared to baseline ( = -9.6, 95% CI: -11.2, -8.1 for depression symptoms). The self-efficacy score increased from baseline to post-intervention ( = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.0, 1.8) and this level was maintained at follow-up. More than half of the participants were in education at baseline while 24% received social transfer payments. Compared with matched comparison group, a lower proportion of the intervention group remaining in education (71% vs. 80%). Among participants who were employed at baseline, a higher proportion of the intervention group were enrolled in education (27% vs. 19%) and were unemployed (14% vs. 4%) compared to the matched comparison group.
This study supports the effectiveness of a peer-to-peer intervention for depression and anxiety symptoms, and self-efficacy in symptom control. However, mixed effects on education and employment were observed, indicating a negative impact on education among those initially enrolled and a higher proportion of employed participants starting education.
本研究旨在探讨丹麦一项为期 7 周的同伴支持计划对 15 至 25 岁患有抑郁或焦虑症状的年轻人的有效性。
共有 483 名参与者（72%为女性）参与了该项目和评估。参与者在基线、干预后和 5 个月随访时完成了问卷，以评估抑郁症状（使用贝克抑郁量表第二版）、焦虑症状（使用斯皮尔伯格成人状态-特质焦虑量表）和控制或管理疾病的自我效能感（使用修订后的疾病感知问卷的个人控制分量表）的变化。分析采用重复测量混合线性回归模型进行。此外，还衍生了一个基于登记的匹配对照组，以评估 8 个月随访时接受教育和就业的变化。
在干预组中，与基线相比，5 个月随访时抑郁和焦虑评分均下降（ = -9.6，95%置信区间：-11.2，-8.1 用于抑郁症状）。自我效能感评分从基线到干预后增加（ = 1.4，95%置信区间：1.0，1.8），并在随访时保持这一水平。基线时，超过一半的参与者接受教育，而 24%的参与者接受社会转移支付。与匹配对照组相比，干预组仍在接受教育的比例较低（71%比 80%）。在基线时就业的参与者中，与匹配对照组相比，干预组中更多的参与者继续接受教育（27%比 19%）和失业（14%比 4%）。
本研究支持同伴支持干预对抑郁和焦虑症状以及症状控制的自我效能感的有效性。然而，在教育和就业方面观察到了混合效果，表明对最初入学的人教育的负面影响以及更多的就业参与者开始接受教育。
