NCT00777205

Improving Depression Management Through Peer Support

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 443 (actual)
• Sponsor: US Department of Veterans Affairs · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

We conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that compared the effectiveness of a telephone delivered, recovery focused, peer-support intervention to enhanced usual care for VA patients with depression.

Detailed description

Peer-support interventions have been recommended by prestigious national task forces and incorporated into the VA Comprehensive Mental Health Strategic Plan. Patients who cope with longer term depressive symptoms may benefit from these interventions.This study examines the effectiveness of a feasible, scalable mutual peer-support intervention for VA patients in depression treatment and will inform leaders who are considering implementing peer-support initiatives. In this study, each study participant (a veteran in treatment for depression) was matched with another participating veteran and the pairs were randomized to enhanced usual care or to the telephone based peer-support intervention (DIAL-UP). All study participants received usual care plus written materials outlining depression self-management strategies, behavioral activation, and recovery. DIAL-UP participants also received: a) a peer-support manual that outlined peer support principles and provided peer discussion topics and b) access to a specialized telephone platform that permited free calls to their partners, ready access to mental health staff for back-up and advice, and recorded tips on depression management. Patients were encouraged to call their partners at least once per week during the 6-month intervention period. Patient outcomes were assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months following enrollment.

Conditions

• Depression

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Telephone-based peer support	Patients received a) a peer-support manual that outlines self-management and recovery principles and provides peer discussion topics and b) access to a specialized telephone platform that permits free calls to their partners, ready access to mental health staff for back-up and advice on being effective partners, and recorded tips on depression management. They were asked to call their peer partner at least once a week for 24 weeks.
BEHAVIORAL	Enhanced Usual Care	Patients received their usual mental health care plus a copy of the Depression Helpbook by Wayne Katon and bi-weekly study mailings with depression management tips.

Timeline

• Start date: 2010-02-01
• Primary completion: 2013-09-01
• Completion: 2013-09-01
• First posted: 2008-10-22
• Last updated: 2015-04-27
• Results posted: 2015-03-18

Locations

4 sites across 1 country: United States