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Kendrick T, Dowrick C, Lewis G, Moore M, Leydon GM, Geraghty AW, Griffiths G, Zhu S, Yao GL, May C, Gabbay M, Dewar-Haggart R, Williams S, Bui L, Thompson N, Bridewell L, Trapasso E, Patel T, McCarthy M, Khan N, Page H, Corcoran E, Hahn JS, Bird M, Logan MX, Ching BCF, Tiwari R, Hunt A, Stuart B. Patient-reported outcome measures for monitoring primary care patients with depression: the PROMDEP cluster RCT and economic evaluation. Health Technol Assess 2024; 28:1-95. [PMID: 38551155 PMCID: PMC11017630 DOI: 10.3310/plrq4216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Guidelines on the management of depression recommend that practitioners use patient-reported outcome measures for the follow-up monitoring of symptoms, but there is a lack of evidence of benefit in terms of patient outcomes. Objective To test using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 questionnaire as a patient-reported outcome measure for monitoring depression, training practitioners in interpreting scores and giving patients feedback. Design Parallel-group, cluster-randomised superiority trial; 1 : 1 allocation to intervention and control. Setting UK primary care (141 group general practices in England and Wales). Inclusion criteria Patients aged ≥ 18 years with a new episode of depressive disorder or symptoms, recruited mainly through medical record searches, plus opportunistically in consultations. Exclusions Current depression treatment, dementia, psychosis, substance misuse and risk of suicide. Intervention Administration of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 questionnaire with patient feedback soon after diagnosis, and at follow-up 10-35 days later, compared with usual care. Primary outcome Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition, symptom scores at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition, scores at 26 weeks; antidepressant drug treatment and mental health service contacts; social functioning (Work and Social Adjustment Scale) and quality of life (EuroQol 5-Dimension, five-level) at 12 and 26 weeks; service use over 26 weeks to calculate NHS costs; patient satisfaction at 26 weeks (Medical Informant Satisfaction Scale); and adverse events. Sample size The original target sample of 676 patients recruited was reduced to 554 due to finding a significant correlation between baseline and follow-up values for the primary outcome measure. Randomisation Remote computerised randomisation with minimisation by recruiting university, small/large practice and urban/rural location. Blinding Blinding of participants was impossible given the open cluster design, but self-report outcome measures prevented observer bias. Analysis was blind to allocation. Analysis Linear mixed models were used, adjusted for baseline depression, baseline anxiety, sociodemographic factors, and clustering including practice as random effect. Quality of life and costs were analysed over 26 weeks. Qualitative interviews Practitioner and patient interviews were conducted to reflect on trial processes and use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 using the Normalization Process Theory framework. Results Three hundred and two patients were recruited in intervention arm practices and 227 patients were recruited in control practices. Primary outcome data were collected for 252 (83.4%) and 195 (85.9%), respectively. No significant difference in Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition, score was found at 12 weeks (adjusted mean difference -0.46, 95% confidence interval -2.16 to 1.26). Nor were significant differences found in Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd Edition, score at 26 weeks, social functioning, patient satisfaction or adverse events. EuroQol-5 Dimensions, five-level version, quality-of-life scores favoured the intervention arm at 26 weeks (adjusted mean difference 0.053, 95% confidence interval 0.013 to 0.093). However, quality-adjusted life-years over 26 weeks were not significantly greater (difference 0.0013, 95% confidence interval -0.0157 to 0.0182). Costs were lower in the intervention arm but, again, not significantly (-£163, 95% confidence interval -£349 to £28). Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses, therefore, suggested that the intervention was dominant over usual care, but with considerable uncertainty around the point estimates. Patients valued using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to compare scores at baseline and follow-up, whereas practitioner views were more mixed, with some considering it too time-consuming. Conclusions We found no evidence of improved depression management or outcome at 12 weeks from using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, but patients' quality of life was better at 26 weeks, perhaps because feedback of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores increased their awareness of improvement in their depression and reduced their anxiety. Further research in primary care should evaluate patient-reported outcome measures including anxiety symptoms, administered remotely, with algorithms delivering clear recommendations for changes in treatment. Study registration This study is registered as IRAS250225 and ISRCTN17299295. Funding This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: 17/42/02) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 28, No. 17. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Kendrick
- School of Primary Care, Population Health and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Christopher Dowrick
- Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Glyn Lewis
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Michael Moore
- School of Primary Care, Population Health and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Geraldine M Leydon
- School of Primary Care, Population Health and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Adam Wa Geraghty
- School of Primary Care, Population Health and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Gareth Griffiths
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Shihua Zhu
- School of Primary Care, Population Health and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Guiqing Lily Yao
- Leicester Clinical Trials Unit, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Carl May
- Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Mark Gabbay
- Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rachel Dewar-Haggart
- School of Primary Care, Population Health and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Samantha Williams
- School of Primary Care, Population Health and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Lien Bui
- School of Primary Care, Population Health and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Natalie Thompson
- School of Primary Care, Population Health and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Lauren Bridewell
- School of Primary Care, Population Health and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Emilia Trapasso
- Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Tasneem Patel
- Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Molly McCarthy
- Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Naila Khan
- Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Helen Page
- Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Emma Corcoran
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jane Sungmin Hahn
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Molly Bird
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mekeda X Logan
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Brian Chi Fung Ching
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Riya Tiwari
- School of Primary Care, Population Health and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Anna Hunt
- School of Primary Care, Population Health and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Beth Stuart
- Centre for Evaluation and Methods, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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Obuobi-Donkor G, Shalaby R, Agyapong B, Dias RDL, Agyapong VIO. Mitigating Psychological Problems Associated with the 2023 Wildfires in Alberta and Nova Scotia: Six-Week Outcomes from the Text4Hope Program. J Clin Med 2024; 13:865. [PMID: 38337558 PMCID: PMC10856019 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13030865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: In 2023, wildfires led to widespread destruction of property and displacement of residents in Alberta and Nova Scotia, Canada. Previous research suggests that wildfires increase the psychological burden of impacted communities, necessitating population-level interventions. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-based text message interventions, Text4HopeAB and Text4HopeNS, were launched in Alberta and Nova Scotia, respectively, during the 2023 wildfire season to support the mental health of impacted individuals. Objectives: The study examines the effectiveness of Text4HopeNS and Text4HopeAB in alleviating psychological symptoms and improving wellbeing among subscribers. Methods: The study involved longitudinal and naturalistic controlled trial designs. The longitudinal study comprised subscribers who completed program surveys at baseline and six weeks post-enrolment, while the naturalistic controlled study compared psychological symptoms in subscribers who had received daily supportive text messages for six weeks (intervention group) and new subscribers who had enrolled in the program during the same period but had not yet received any text messages (control group). The severity of low resilience, poor mental wellbeing, likely Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), likely Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and suicidal ideation were measured on the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the World Health Organization-5 Wellbeing Index (WHO-5), Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) scale, PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), and the ninth question on the PHQ-9, respectively. The paired and independent sample t-tests were employed in data analysis. Results: The results from the longitudinal study indicated a significant reduction in the mean scores on the PHQ-9 (-12.3%), GAD-7 (-14.8%), and the PCL-C (-5.8%), and an increase in the mean score on the WHO-5, but not on the BRS, from baseline to six weeks. In the naturalistic controlled study, the intervention group had a significantly lower mean score on the PHQ-9 (-30.1%), GAD-7 (-29.4%), PCL-C (-17.5%), and the ninth question on the PHQ-9 (-60.0%) which measures the intensity of suicidal ideation, and an increase in the mean score on the WHO-5 (+24.7%), but not on the BRS, from baseline to six weeks compared to the control group. Conclusions: The results of this study suggests that the Text4Hope program is an effective intervention for mitigating psychological symptoms in subscribers during wildfires. This CBT-based text messaging program can be adapted to provide effective support for individuals' mental health, especially in the context of traumatic events and adverse experiences such as those induced by climate change. Policymakers and mental health professionals should consider these findings when shaping strategies for future disaster response efforts, emphasizing the value of scalable and culturally sensitive mental health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Obuobi-Donkor
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; (G.O.-D.); (R.d.L.D.)
| | - Reham Shalaby
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada; (R.S.); (B.A.)
| | - Belinda Agyapong
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada; (R.S.); (B.A.)
| | - Raquel da Luz Dias
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; (G.O.-D.); (R.d.L.D.)
| | - Vincent Israel Opoku Agyapong
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; (G.O.-D.); (R.d.L.D.)
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada; (R.S.); (B.A.)
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Shalaby R, Agyapong B, Vuong W, Hrabok M, Gusnowski A, Surood S, Greenshaw AJ, Agyapong VIO. Naturalistic randomized controlled trial demonstrating effectiveness of Text4Hope in supporting male population mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1002288. [PMID: 36225762 PMCID: PMC9548654 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1002288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Mental illness is not uncommon among males. It is estimated that males are more likely to die by suicide, become dependent on alcohol, report frequent drug use, and be dissatisfied with their life, compared to women. In this study, we assessed the potential to offer support to this population using Text4Hope, a texting mental health service. Methods The study was a naturalistic randomized controlled trial comparing two populations of Text4Hope male subscribers; an intervention group (IG, Text4Hope subscribers who received once-daily supportive text messages for 6 weeks) and a control group (CG, Text4Hope subscribers who joined the program in the same time frame but were yet to receive text messages). Inferential statistics were used to compare the severity and the prevalence of the likely stress, anxiety, and depression, between the two groups, using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and defined the Composite Mental Health (CMH) score as the sum of these three. T-test, Chi-squared association, and binary logistic regression analyses were applied. Results There were 286 male subscribers to Text4Hope. The majority were above 40 years, white, employed, had postsecondary education, were in a relationship, and owned a home. Mean scores of PSS-10, GAD-7, and PHQ-9 scales and the CMH were significantly higher for the CG compared to the IG, 11.4, 28.8, 25.8, and 18.7%, respectively. Similarly, a statistically significantly lower prevalence in IG, compared to the CG, on likely MDD (58.15 vs. 37.4%) and likely GAD (50 vs. 30.8%), with a small effect size. The IG was a significant predictor for lower odds of both likely MDD and likely GAD while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusions The Text4Hope service is an effective tool for mental health support for male subscribers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to the males who didn't receive the service, those who received it were in better mental health conditions. Further effort is still needed to encourage males to participate in such online services that can help them receive adequate support, particularly during crisis times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reham Shalaby
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Belinda Agyapong
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Wesley Vuong
- Addiction and Mental Health, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Marianne Hrabok
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - April Gusnowski
- Addiction and Mental Health, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Shireen Surood
- Addiction and Mental Health, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Andrew J. Greenshaw
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Vincent I. O. Agyapong
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada,*Correspondence: Vincent I. O. Agyapong
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Duffy L, Clarke CS, Lewis G, Marston L, Freemantle N, Gilbody S, Hunter R, Kendrick T, Kessler D, King M, Lanham P, Mangin D, Moore M, Nazareth I, Wiles N, Bacon F, Bird M, Brabyn S, Burns A, Donkor Y, Hunt A, Pervin J, Lewis G. Antidepressant medication to prevent depression relapse in primary care: the ANTLER RCT. Health Technol Assess 2021; 25:1-62. [PMID: 34842135 DOI: 10.3310/hta25690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There has been a steady increase in the number of primary care patients receiving long-term maintenance antidepressant treatment, despite limited evidence of a benefit of this treatment beyond 8 months. OBJECTIVE The ANTidepressants to prevent reLapse in dEpRession (ANTLER) trial investigated the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of antidepressant medication in preventing relapse in UK primary care. DESIGN This was a Phase IV, double-blind, pragmatic, multisite, individually randomised parallel-group controlled trial, with follow-up at 6, 12, 26, 39 and 52 weeks. Participants were randomised using minimisation on centre, type of antidepressant and baseline depressive symptom score above or below the median using Clinical Interview Schedule - Revised (two categories). Statisticians were blind to allocation for the outcome analyses. SETTING General practices in London, Bristol, Southampton and York. PARTICIPANTS Individuals aged 18-74 years who had experienced at least two episodes of depression and had been taking antidepressants for ≥ 9 months but felt well enough to consider stopping their medication. Those who met an International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, diagnosis of depression or with other psychiatric conditions were excluded. INTERVENTION At baseline, participants were taking citalopram 20 mg, sertraline 100 mg, fluoxetine 20 mg or mirtazapine 30 mg. They were randomised to either remain on their current medication or discontinue medication after a tapering period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the time, in weeks, to the beginning of the first depressive episode after randomisation. This was measured by a retrospective Clinical Interview Schedule - Revised that assessed the onset of a depressive episode in the previous 12 weeks, and was conducted at 12, 26, 39 and 52 weeks. The depression-related resource use was collected over 12 months from medical records and patient-completed questionnaires. Quality-adjusted life-years were calculated using the EuroQol-5 Dimensions, five-level version. RESULTS Between 9 March 2017 and 1 March 2019, we randomised 238 participants to antidepressant continuation (the maintenance group) and 240 participants to antidepressant discontinuation (the discontinuation group). The time to relapse of depression was shorter in the discontinuation group, with a hazard ratio of 2.06 (95% confidence interval 1.56 to 2.70; p < 0.0001). By 52 weeks, relapse was experienced by 39% of those who continued antidepressants and 56% of those who discontinued antidepressants. The secondary analysis revealed that people who discontinued experienced more withdrawal symptoms than those who remained on medication, with the largest difference at 12 weeks. In the discontinuation group, 37% (95% confidence interval 28% to 45%) of participants remained on their randomised medication until the end of the trial. In total, 39% (95% confidence interval 32% to 45%) of participants in the discontinuation group returned to their original antidepressant compared with 20% (95% confidence interval 15% to 25%) of participants in maintenance group. The health economic evaluation demonstrated that participants randomised to discontinuation had worse utility scores at 3 months (-0.037, 95% confidence interval -0.059 to -0.015) and fewer quality-adjusted life-years over 12 months (-0.019, 95% confidence interval -0.035 to -0.003) than those randomised to continuation. The discontinuation pathway, besides giving worse outcomes, also cost more [extra £2.71 per patient over 12 months (95% confidence interval -£36.10 to £37.07)] than the continuation pathway, although the cost difference was not significant. CONCLUSIONS Patients who discontinue long-term maintenance antidepressants in primary care are at increased risk of relapse and withdrawal symptoms. However, a substantial proportion of patients can discontinue antidepressants without relapse. Our findings will give patients and clinicians an estimate of the likely benefits and harms of stopping long-term maintenance antidepressants and improve shared decision-making. The participants may not have been representative of all people on long-term maintenance treatment and we could study only a restricted range of antidepressants and doses. Identifying patients who will not relapse if they discontinued antidepressants would be clinically important. TRIAL REGISTRATION Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN15969819 and EudraCT 2015-004210-26. FUNDING This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 25, No. 69. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa Duffy
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Caroline S Clarke
- Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London, London, UK.,PRIMENT Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gemma Lewis
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Louise Marston
- Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London, London, UK.,PRIMENT Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nick Freemantle
- PRIMENT Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, UK.,Comprehensive Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Simon Gilbody
- Department of Health and Social Care Sciences, University of York, York, UK
| | - Rachael Hunter
- Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London, London, UK.,PRIMENT Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tony Kendrick
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - David Kessler
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Michael King
- Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London, London, UK.,PRIMENT Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul Lanham
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Dee Mangin
- Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Department of General Practice, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Michael Moore
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Irwin Nazareth
- Research Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London, London, UK.,PRIMENT Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nicola Wiles
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Faye Bacon
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Molly Bird
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sally Brabyn
- Department of Health and Social Care Sciences, University of York, York, UK
| | - Alison Burns
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Yvonne Donkor
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anna Hunt
- Primary Care Population Sciences and Medical Education, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Jodi Pervin
- Department of Health and Social Care Sciences, University of York, York, UK
| | - Glyn Lewis
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
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Mental Health Outreach via Supportive Text Messages during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Improved Mental Health and Reduced Suicidal Ideation after Six Weeks in Subscribers of Text4Hope Compared to a Control Population. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18042157. [PMID: 33672120 PMCID: PMC7927101 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18042157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Background: In March 2020, Alberta Health Services launched Text4Hope, a free mental health text-message service. The service aimed to alleviate pandemic-associated stress, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and suicidal propensity. The effectiveness of Text4Hope was evaluated by comparing psychiatric parameters between two subscriber groups. Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study with two arms: Text4Hope subscribers who received daily texts for six weeks, the intervention group (IG); and new Text4Hope subscribers who were yet to receive messages, the control group (CG). Logistic regression models were used in the analysis. Results: Participants in the IG had lower prevalence rates for moderate/high stress (78.8% vs. 88.0%), likely GAD (31.4% vs. 46.5%), and likely MDD (36.8% vs. 52.1%), respectively, compared to respondents in the CG. After controlling for demographic variables, the IG remained less likely to self-report symptoms of moderate/high stress (OR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.41–0.75), likely GAD (OR = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.44–0.68), and likely MDD (OR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.47–0.73). The mean Composite Mental Health score, the sum of mean scores on the PSS, GAD-7, and PHQ-9 was 20.9% higher in the CG. Conclusions: Text4Hope is an effective population-level intervention that helps reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Similar texting services should be implemented during global crises.
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Agyapong VIO, Hrabok M, Vuong W, Shalaby R, Noble JM, Gusnowski A, Mrklas KJ, Li D, Urichuk L, Snaterse M, Surood S, Cao B, Li XM, Greiner R, Greenshaw AJ. Changes in Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Levels of Subscribers to a Daily Supportive Text Message Program (Text4Hope) During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Survey Study. JMIR Ment Health 2020; 7:e22423. [PMID: 33296330 PMCID: PMC7752184 DOI: 10.2196/22423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In addition to the obvious physical medical impact of COVID-19, the disease poses evident threats to people's mental health, psychological safety, and well-being. Provision of support for these challenges is complicated by the high number of people requiring support and the need to maintain physical distancing. Text4Hope, a daily supportive SMS text messaging program, was launched in Canada to mitigate the negative mental health impacts of the pandemic among Canadians. OBJECTIVE This paper describes the changes in the stress, anxiety, and depression levels of subscribers to the Text4Hope program after 6 weeks of exposure to daily supportive SMS text messages. METHODS We used self-administered, empirically supported web-based questionnaires to assess the demographic and clinical characteristics of Text4Hope subscribers. Perceived stress, anxiety, and depression were measured with the 10-Item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale at baseline and sixth week time points. Moderate or high perceived stress, likely generalized anxiety disorder, and likely major depressive disorder were assessed using cutoff scores of ≥14 for the PSS-10, ≥10 for the GAD-7, and ≥10 for the PHQ-9, respectively. At 6 weeks into the program, 766 participants had completed the questionnaires at both time points. RESULTS At the 6-week time point, there were statistically significant reductions in mean scores on the PSS-10 and GAD-7 scales but not on the PHQ-9 scale. Effect sizes were small overall. There were statistically significant reductions in the prevalence rates of moderate or high stress and likely generalized anxiety disorder but not likely major depressive disorder for the group that completed both the baseline and 6-week assessments. The largest reductions in mean scores and prevalence rates were for anxiety (18.7% and 13.5%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Text4Hope is a convenient, cost-effective, and accessible means of implementing a population-level psychological intervention. This service demonstrated significant reductions in anxiety and stress levels during the COVID-19 pandemic and could be used as a population-level mental health intervention during natural disasters and other emergencies. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/19292.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Reham Shalaby
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jasmine Marie Noble
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Kelly J Mrklas
- Provincial Clinical Excellence, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada.,Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Daniel Li
- Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Bo Cao
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Xin-Min Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Russell Greiner
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Andrew James Greenshaw
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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