A Randomized Controlled Trial of Deprexis; Evaluation of A Computerized Intervention to Decrease Depression and Restore Functioning in Veterans
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
Depressive symptoms are common among Veterans and associated with significant impairment. Timely intervention has the potential to improve mental health outcomes and restore functioning. Interventions delivered through the internet can be completed remotely at any time, and thus minimize burden on Veterans, however the research examining their utility in Veterans is limited. This proposed project will examine Deprexis, a self-guided internet-delivered intervention, which targets depressive symptoms and associated functional impairments. Interviews will be conducted to gain insight into Veterans' perceptions, needs, and preferences vis-a-vis Deprexis, with results informing a randomized controlled trial. Here an 8-week course of Deprexis will be compared to a treatment-as-usual (TAU) control condition to establish if Deprexis is acceptable and effective for Veterans with mild to moderate depressive symptoms. Veterans engaged in Deprexis are hypothesized to show improvements on measures of functioning and decreases in depressive symptoms compared to the TAU control group. The proposed work has great clinical utility, as it could provide a readily accessible, high-quality intervention for the many Veterans suffering from depressive symptoms, with the potential to improve functioning and long-term outcomes.
Description
Depressive symptoms are common in Veterans and are highly predictive of disability and impairment in quality of life. Providing timely intervention for depressive illness can prevent chronic Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and entrenched functional impairments. Preventing the progression into severe and recurrent disease and disability is essential; MDD is the second strongest predictor of Veteran suicide among all recorded mental health diagnoses and functional impairments associated with mental health diagnoses increase the risk for suicide. Depressive symptoms strongly predict functional im…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: Potential participants include male and female Veterans of all races/ethnicities who are: * able to comprehend and sign the informed consent form * have reliable access to the internet and a computer, tablet and/or smartphone * exhibit mild or moderate, but not very severe, levels of depression * stable on psychotropic medications Exclusion Criteria: Aim 1 and Aim 2: Veterans will be excluded from study participation if they: * endorse any positive symptoms of a psychotic disorder * screen positive for Bipolar I Disorder * report current suicidal risk
Interventions
- BehavioralDeprexis
Deprexis is an internet-delivered treatment for depressive symptoms and related functional impairment. The intervention draws from various theoretical frameworks and consists of 12 modules: 10 core content modules and an introductory and summary module. Deprexis is designed to be interactive, includes answering questions and learning techniques and concepts through instruction and examples.
Location
- Central Texas Veterans Health Care System Waco VA Medical Center, Waco, TXWaco, Texas