First, Do No Harm: Referring Primary Care Patients with Depression to an Internet Support Group

Autor: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, Daniel E. Ford, Robert C. Hsiung, Brady Goodwin, Thomas K. Houston, Joshua Fogel
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
020205 medical informatics
InformationSystems_INFORMATIONINTERFACESANDPRESENTATION(e.g.
HCI)
medicine.medical_treatment
Health Informatics
02 engineering and technology
Support group
03 medical and health sciences
Social support
0302 clinical medicine
Health Information Management
0202 electrical engineering
electronic engineering
information engineering
medicine
Humans
Psychiatry
Referral and Consultation
Depression (differential diagnoses)
Original Research
Self-efficacy
Do no harm
Internet
Primary Health Care
business.industry
Depression
Loneliness
virus diseases
Social Support
General Medicine
Middle Aged
Self Efficacy
030227 psychiatry
Self-Help Groups
Socioeconomic Factors
The Internet
Female
medicine.symptom
business
Risk assessment
Psychology
Self-Injurious Behavior
Zdroj: Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association. 24(1)
ISSN: 1556-3669
Popis: Internet Support Groups (ISGs) offer people easy access to information regarding depression as well as support from others who are either currently suffering from depression or have previously suffered from depression. The safety and efficacy of ISGs for people with depression have not been thoroughly studied.The safety and helpfulness of a depression ISG were assessed by analyzing pre- and postintervention depressive symptoms, other psychological outcomes, and participant ratings of helpfulness.Participants were recruited through self-referral from six primary care offices. Participants were given access to a depression ISG and participated in an ISG for 6 weeks.Thirty-four (n = 34) participants enrolled in the study (mean age = 32.53, standard deviation [SD] = 16.10). Depressive symptoms approached significance for decreasing over time and self-efficacy increased over time. No self-harm occurred over the course of the study, but two participants developed self-harm ideation. Ratings of ISG helpfulness were mixed.Primary care patients participating in depression ISGs reported few adverse experiences directly related to the ISG. Depressive symptoms and self-efficacy have beneficial findings while ratings of helpfulness were mixed.Primary care patients can benefit from the use of an ISG. This could be particularly pertinent to people in rural settings where mental health resources are not as available. An ISG offers a low-cost and easily accessible resource for primary care patients with depression.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz: