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STUDY DESIGN:
Prospective parallel waitlist randomised controlled trial.
OBJECTIVES:
Evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of an Internet-based psychological intervention treating comorbid mood disorder in adults with spinal cord injury (SCI). Improved mood and satisfaction with life were primary outcomes.
SETTING:
Victoria, Australia.
INTERVENTION:
Electronic Personal Administration of Cognitive Therapy (ePACT).
MEASURES:
Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-Short Form (DASS21), Personal Well-being Index, Helplessness subscale of the Spinal Cord Lesion Emotional Well-being Scale v1 Australia, at each time point.Participant qualifying criteria:Adults (18-70 years), chronic SCI, attend SCI review clinic at Austin or Caulfield Hospital and score above normative threshold of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-Short Form (DASS21).
METHODS:
Forty-eight participants completed Time 2 post intervention (n=23) or time equivalent for waitlist control group (n=25) telephone interviews. The measures were repeated a third time (Time 3) for a small subgroup (n=12) at 6 months post intervention within the study implementation time frame.
RESULTS:
Univariate within group analyses revealed significant improvement in mood in the intervention group at Time 2: (lower depression (effect size (ES)=0.4), anxiety (ES=0.4) and stress (ES=0.3)) and higher satisfaction with life (ES=0.2). Waitlist control group improved in depression only (ES=0.3) by Time 2. Multilevel variance components analyses, although not as positive, were still encouraging. Improvement in mood symptoms was maintained in the small group reinterviewed at Time 3.
CONCLUSION:
Although Internet-based interventions for mental health issues in SCI not a solution for all, our results indicate that they are a potentially valuable addition to the currently available options. |
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