The use and perceived helpfulness of self-help interventions for depressive symptoms and sub-threshold depression: comparisons among the general population, patients with depression, and psychiatrists

Application of the Delphi Method in the Study of Depressive Disorder

Depressive disorder is a common mental disorder that has a high prevalence and low visiting rate, which caused patients years lived with disability. Due to the complexity of the depressive disorder, the Delphi method is a better choice compared with other commonly used methods, which provides a new perspective for the prevention and treatment of depression. This article will summarize the clinical studies of depressive disorders using the Delphi method from four perspectives, and summarize the advantages and disadvantages of the Delphi method in depressive disorders research, arguing that the Delphi method can cross the gap between clinical research and clinical practice, and is a highly practical part of the research process.

Self-care for anxiety and depression: a comparison of evidence from Cochrane reviews and practice to inform decision-making and priority-setting

BACKGROUND

Self-care refers to a range of activities and approaches undertaken by an individual to maintain health and manage ill-health which may include various complementary or alternative approaches. The purpose of this study was to identify the self-care approaches used by the general public for depression and anxiety, assess the usefulness of Cochrane reviews for informing decisions on self-care and highlight any gaps in the evidence.

METHODS

Searches were carried out for surveys of self-care for anxiety and/or depression and for Cochrane reviews and protocols of interventions with potential for use in self-care. Data was extracted from each review and Plain Language Summaries assessed for content, consistency and readability. Interventions reported in surveys and in Cochrane reviews were compared and effectiveness of each assessed.

RESULTS

Surveys from 10 countries reported a variety of self-care interventions, 17 of which appeared in 2 or more surveys and which included dietary supplements, herbal medicines, mind-body therapies and various forms of exercise. Twenty-two reviews and 5 protocols on potential self-care interventions were identified, the majority in depression. Twelve interventions were judged effective or promising, most with small effect sizes. Readability of summaries was highly variable: half were written at college/university level. Several commonly used approaches were not covered by Cochrane reviews.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has revealed the interventions currently used by the general public which are judged effective or promising based on Cochrane reviews. Some disparity is highlighted between interventions used in practice and the availability of reliable evidence, and in the presentation of effectiveness and safety. Being able to direct patients to reliable, accessible information is a positive step in ensuring effective patient-centered, evidence-informed care. Addressing gaps, ensuring consistency and increasing usability of evidence intended for the general public will support this goal.

Nursing students' alternative beliefs regarding care for patients suffering from depression

Depression is an illness that constitutes a major challenge for Public Health worldwide. Therefore, there is a clear need to receive training to care for this type of patient. This study sets out to identify alternative non-scientific beliefs among nursing students regarding the topic of depression after studying the module of Psychopathology. This study enrolled 102 third year undergraduate nursing students. The students resolved a case on an individual basis in written form which was analysed qualitatively. In this study, we have found that, despite having undergone information-transfer educational training in relation to the physiopathology of depression, nursing students persist in holding unscientific beliefs about this condition. On the basis that the opinions of nurses about depression can influence the care of their future patients, it is important to consider these alternative beliefs as learning difficulties in order to design an effective teaching instruction.

Interactions and user-perceived helpfulness in diet information social questions & answers

BACKGROUND

Online health information seeking using social questions and answers (Social Q&A) sites has been increasingly popular in recent years. It calls for better understanding of health information seeking behaviour and interactions between information seekers and information providers.

OBJECTIVES

The study investigates how diet information seekers interact with information providers on WebMD Answers, which is a Social Q&A site devoted to health-related topics, and examines the factors that constitute a 'helpful' answer from an information seeker's perspective.

METHODS

Bales' interaction process analysis was applied as the framework to analyse 568 diet-related Q&As from WebMD Answers to identify interaction patterns.

RESULTS

Most diet information seekers post questions anonymously and without any detailed description. Individual experts or health organisations provide most answers. Overall, answers are positively received and had a high satisfaction rating. It was also found that information seeker-perceived helpfulness does not depend on who answered the question but to how an information seeker posted the question.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that answers at WebMD Answers are helpful for diet information seekers. It sheds new light on the interactions during the Q&A process, preferred site functions and important factors that contribute to perceived helpful answers.