An educational programme for coping with depression: a randomized controlled trial
Dalgard, O.Steffen.
Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening Tidsskrift for Praktisk Medicin Ny Raekke 124(23): 3043-3046
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 0029-2001 PMID: 15586183 Document Number: 571076
Depression is a serious health problem, with lifetime prevalence in the western world of 20-30%. Only a relatively small proportion of depressed people receive treatment; hence there is a great need for further development of feasible treatment programmes. A psycho-educative group-based treatment programme was tested in a randomized controlled study of unipolar depression. The size of the intervention group was 81 as against 74 in the control group. The programme lasted 8 weeks with weekly sessions of 2(1/2) hours and booster sessions after 1, 2 and 4 months. Each group had 8 to 10 participants; psychiatric nurses acted as facilitators. The rate of improvement after 6 months was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group. In the intervention group, 69% of participants showed significant improvement (reduction in the Beck Depression Inventory score of 6 points or more), compared to 37% in the control group. Improvement in the intervention group mainly took place during the first 8 weeks. The treatment programme turned out to have a significant effect on unipolar depression and seems feasible in primary health care as well as in specialized psychiatric care.