Clinical and cost-effectiveness of computerised cognitive behavioural therapy for depression in primary care: Design of a randomised trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Major depression is a common mental health problem in the general population, associated with a substantial impact on quality of life and societal costs. However, many depressed patients in primary care do not receive the care they need. Reason for this is that pharmacotherapy is only effective in severely depressed patients and psychological treatments in primary care are scarce and costly. A more feasible treatment in primary care might be computerised cognitive behavioural therapy. This can be a self-help computer program based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy. Although previous studies suggest that computerised cognitive behavioural therapy is effective, more research is necessary. Therefore, the objective of the current study is to evaluate the (cost-) effectiveness of online computerised cognitive behavioural therapy for depression in primary care.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>In a randomised trial we will compare (a) computerised cognitive behavioural therapy with (b) treatment as usual by a GP, and (c) computerised cognitive behavioural therapy in combination with usual GP care. Three hundred mild to moderately depressed patients (aged 18–65) will be recruited in the general population by means of a large-scale Internet-based screening (<it>N </it>= 200,000). Patients will be randomly allocated to one of the three treatment groups. Primary outcome measure of the clinical evaluation is the severity of depression. Other outcomes include psychological distress, social functioning, and dysfunctional beliefs. The economic evaluation will be performed from a societal perspective, in which all costs will be related to clinical effectiveness and health-related quality of life. All outcome assessments will take place on the Internet at baseline, two, three, six, nine, and twelve months. Costs are measured on a monthly basis. A time horizon of one year will be used without long-term extrapolation of either costs or quality of life.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Although computerised cognitive behavioural therapy is a promising treatment for depression in primary care, more research is needed. The effectiveness of online computerised cognitive behavioural therapy without support remains to be evaluated as well as the effects of computerised cognitive behavioural therapy in combination with usual GP care. Economic evaluation is also needed. Methodological strengths and weaknesses are discussed.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>The study has been registered at the Netherlands Trial Register, part of the Dutch Cochrane Centre (ISRCTN47481236).</p

Determining the variables associated to clean intermittent self-catheterization adherence rate: one-year follow-up study

PURPOSE: To determine adherence rate and variables associate with patients' adherence to Clean Intermittent Self Catheterization (CISC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients refereed to CISC training program between July 2006 and May 2008, were prospectively evaluated with urodynamic, 3 days bladder diary (BD) and WHOQoL-bref questionnaire. After training to perform CISC, patients were evaluated at 2 weeks, monthly for 6 months and at 12 months with clinical visits and BD. Patients were considered adherent if they were performing at least 80% of the initial recommendation. RESULTS: Sixty patients (50.4 ± 19.9 years old) were trained to perform CISC (21 female and 39 male). Out of them, 30 (50%) had neurogenic and 30 (50%) had a non-neurogenic voiding dysfunction. The adherence rate at 6 and 12 months was 61.7%, 58%, respectively. Patients < 40 years old had adherence rate of 86%. Women and neurogenic patients had higher adherence rate than their counterparts (p = 0.024 and p = 0.016, respectively). In the WHOQoL-bref, patients that adhere to the program had a significant higher score on psychological and social relationships domains. There was not difference in pre and post training WHOQoL-bref scores. Educational background, marriage status, detrusor leak point pressure, Bladder Capacity, number of leakage episodes did not play a role on the adherence rate. CONCLUSION: Patients in CISC program present a reasonable adherence after one year. Women, neurogenic voiding dysfunction and patients under 40 years old were significantly more adherents. The psychological and social relationship status seems to positively interfere on adherence. CISC did not affect patient's QoL evaluated by WHOQoL-bref

Listening to music and physiological and psychological functioning: The mediating role of emotion regulation and stress reactivity

Music listening has been suggested to have short-term beneficial effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the association and potential mediating mechanisms between various aspects of habitual music-listening behaviour and physiological and psychological functioning. An internet-based survey was conducted in university students, measuring habitual music-listening behaviour, emotion regulation, stress reactivity, as well as physiological and psychological functioning. A total of 1230 individuals (mean = 24.89 ± 5.34 years, 55.3% women) completed the questionnaire. Quantitative aspects of habitual music-listening behaviour, i.e. average duration of music listening and subjective relevance of music, were not associated with physiological and psychological functioning. In contrast, qualitative aspects, i.e. reasons for listening (especially 'reducing loneliness and aggression', and 'arousing or intensifying specific emotions') were significantly related to physiological and psychological functioning (all p = 0.001). These direct effects were mediated by distress-augmenting emotion regulation and individual stress reactivity. The habitual music-listening behaviour appears to be a multifaceted behaviour that is further influenced by dispositions that are usually not related to music listening. Consequently, habitual music-listening behaviour is not obviously linked to physiological and psychological functioning