MoodGym and Blue Pages: An Internet Depression Intervention
An Evidence-Based Practice
Description
MoodGYM is an interactive website that offers cognitive behavioral therapy and Blue Pages is a psycho-education website that offers information about depression in general.
Depression interventions using the Internet are both primary and a secondary interventions. One intervention, Blues Pages, provides depression literacy, which is valuable for both people already struggling with depression and for the general public. Depression awareness is valuable for everyone because it can help a mentally healthy person recognize signs of depression and prevent it from developing; help friends and family of a depressed person cope; and facilitate understanding. The other intervention, MoodGYM, seeks to treat people struggling with depression or depressive symptoms. It is a secondary intervention because it tries to rehabilitate patients who have symptoms of depression and prevent their symptoms from progressing further.
Depression interventions using the Internet are both primary and a secondary interventions. One intervention, Blues Pages, provides depression literacy, which is valuable for both people already struggling with depression and for the general public. Depression awareness is valuable for everyone because it can help a mentally healthy person recognize signs of depression and prevent it from developing; help friends and family of a depressed person cope; and facilitate understanding. The other intervention, MoodGYM, seeks to treat people struggling with depression or depressive symptoms. It is a secondary intervention because it tries to rehabilitate patients who have symptoms of depression and prevent their symptoms from progressing further.
Goal / Mission
The MoodGYM and Blue Pages websites aim to alleviate depression symptoms and increase understanding of depression using the Internet.
Results / Accomplishments
The internet depression interventions MoodGYM and Blue Pages were evaluated by a randomized controlled trial to confirm if depression literacy is just as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing the symptoms of depression. Out of 525 individuals recruited for this study, 83% (435) returned a post-intervention questionnaire while 79% (414) completed the intervention. Interviewers contacted participants by phone on a weekly basis to facilitate use of the websites (MoodGYM and Blue Pages). Participants were also issued written guidelines on how to navigate the MoodGYM and Blue Pages websites. A control group of participants were phoned weekly by interviewers to discuss their lifestyles, along with environmental factors that could affect their symptoms for depression. The key findings from this study proved that both Blue Pages and MoodGYM reduced symptoms of depression. MoodGYM significantly improved dysfunctional thinking compared to the control group and increased literacy in cognitive behavioral therapy. Knowledge of medical, psychological, and life style factors regarding depression improved with use of Blue Pages (p-value< 0.05). These findings indicate that interventions that use the Internet to deliver information regarding cognitive behavior therapy and increase depression literacy are effective in reducing symptoms of depression.
About this Promising Practice
Organization(s)
The Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University
Primary Contact
Australian Foundation for Mental Health Research
Building 63
The Australian National University
Canberra, ACT 0200
Australia
+61 2 6125 5111
moodgym@anu.edu.au
http://cmhr.anu.edu.au/
Building 63
The Australian National University
Canberra, ACT 0200
Australia
+61 2 6125 5111
moodgym@anu.edu.au
http://cmhr.anu.edu.au/
Topics
Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders
Organization(s)
The Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University
Source
Australian Department of Health and Aging Centre for Mental Health Research at the Australian National University
Date of publication
2004
Date of implementation
2002
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
Australia
For more details
Target Audience
Adults
Submitted By
Emily Abbood, Brooke Bohling, Rachel Pedowitz - UC Berkeley School of Public Health