Trial Review

The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been endorsed by the ANZCTR. Before participating in a study, talk to your health care provider and refer to this information for consumers
Trial details imported from ClinicalTrials.gov

For full trial details, please see the original record at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01423448




Registration number
NCT01423448
Ethics application status
Date submitted
23/08/2011
Date registered
26/08/2011
Date last updated
14/01/2015

Titles & IDs
Public title
Effectiveness of an Online Bulletin Board for Depression: a Longitudinal Randomized Controlled Trial
Scientific title
A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Online Bulletin Board for Depression
Secondary ID [1] 0 0
NHMRC Fellowship ref 525413
Secondary ID [2] 0 0
CMHR-123
Universal Trial Number (UTN)
Trial acronym
ShareIT
Linked study record

Health condition
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:
Depression 0 0
Condition category
Condition code
Mental Health 0 0 0 0
Depression

Intervention/exposure
Study type
Interventional
Description of intervention(s) / exposure
Other interventions - bulletin board

Experimental: Bulletin board - Participants will be given access to the online bulletin board (intervention) for a 6 month period

No Intervention: Control - After 6 months participants allocated to the control group will receive access to the intervention


Other interventions: bulletin board
An asynchronous online bulletin board for people with experience of depression
Intervention code [1] 0 0
Other interventions
Comparator / control treatment
Control group

Outcomes
Primary outcome [1] 0 0
Depressive symptoms: Centre for Epidemiological Studies - Depression Scale (CES-D)
Timepoint [1] 0 0
Baseline
Primary outcome [2] 0 0
Depressive symptoms: Centre for Epidemiological Studies - Depression Scale (CES-D)
Timepoint [2] 0 0
6 months post-baseline
Primary outcome [3] 0 0
Depressive symptoms: Centre for Epidemiological Studies - Depression Scale (CES-D)
Timepoint [3] 0 0
12 months post-baseline

Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
1. Over 18 years of age

2. Internet access with email

3. Self-report of current or previous experience of depression
Minimum age
18 Years
Maximum age
No limit
Sex
Both males and females
Can healthy volunteers participate?
No
Key exclusion criteria
1. Current participation in an online support group for depression

2. Diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or psychosis

Study design
Purpose of the study
Allocation to intervention
Randomised controlled trial
Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)
Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)
Masking / blinding
Open (masking not used)
Who is / are masked / blinded?



Intervention assignment
Parallel
Other design features
Phase
Phase 0
Type of endpoint/s
Statistical methods / analysis

Recruitment
Recruitment status
Withdrawn
Data analysis
Reason for early stopping/withdrawal
Other reasons
Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
Date of last data collection
Anticipated
Actual
Sample size
Target
Accrual to date
Final
0
Recruitment in Australia
Recruitment state(s)
ACT
Recruitment hospital [1] 0 0
Centre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University - Canberra
Recruitment postcode(s) [1] 0 0
0200 - Canberra

Funding & Sponsors
Primary sponsor type
Other
Name
Louise Farrer
Address
Country

Ethics approval
Ethics application status

Summary
Brief summary
This study is a randomised controlled trial that aims to examine the efficacy of an
established online bulletin board for depression. It has been estimated that millions of
people worldwide use peer-to-peer bulletin boards, forums or internet support groups (ISGs)
for health conditions. However, little is known about the effectiveness of these groups in
terms of symptom reduction or improvement in quality of life. The current project
investigates the effectiveness of an established online bulletin board for depression
available to the public. To our knowledge, this is the first randomised controlled trial of
the effectiveness of a pre-existing, well-established online bulletin board for depression in
the community. The aims of the project are to determine whether the bulletin board improves
mental health, quality of life, and related outcomes among members of the community with high
levels of self-reported psychological distress and previous history or current experience of
depression.
Trial website
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01423448
Trial related presentations / publications
Public notes

Contacts
Principal investigator
Name 0 0
Address 0 0
Country 0 0
Phone 0 0
Fax 0 0
Email 0 0
Contact person for public queries
Name 0 0
Address 0 0
Country 0 0
Phone 0 0
Fax 0 0
Email 0 0
Contact person for scientific queries



Summary Results

For IPD and results data, please see https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01423448