Objective:Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), a structured and time-limited therapy, has been studied in many controlled trials. Numerous practice guidelines have recommended IPT as a treatment of ...choice for unipolar depressive disorders. The authors conducted a meta-analysis to integrate research on the effects of IPT.
Method:The authors searched bibliographical databases for randomized controlled trials comparing IPT with no treatment, usual care, other psychological treatments, and pharmacotherapy as well as studies comparing combination treatment using pharmacotherapy and IPT. Maintenance studies were also included.
Results:Thirty-eight studies including 4,356 patients met all inclusion criteria. The overall effect size (Cohen's d) of the 16 studies that compared IPT and a control group was 0.63 (95% confidence interval CI=0.36 to 0.90), corresponding to a number needed to treat of 2.91. Ten studies comparing IPT and other psychological treatments showed a nonsignificant differential effect size of 0.04 (95% CI=–0.14 to 0.21; number needed to treat=45.45) favoring IPT. Pharmacotherapy (after removal of one outlier) was more effective than IPT (d=–0.19, 95% CI=–0.38 to –0.01; number needed to treat=9.43), and combination treatment was not more effective than IPT alone, although the paucity of studies precluded drawing definite conclusions. Combination maintenance treatment with pharmacotherapy and IPT was more effective in preventing relapse than pharmacotherapy alone (odds ratio=0.37; 95% CI=0.19 to 0.73; number needed to treat=7.63).
Conclusions:There is no doubt that IPT efficaciously treats depression, both as an independent treatment and in combination with pharmacotherapy. IPT deserves its place in treatment guidelines as one of the most empirically validated treatments for depression.
Depressive disorders are highly prevalent in the working population and are associated with excessive costs. The evidence for effective worker-directed interventions for employees with depressive ...symptoms is limited. Treating employees with depressive symptoms via the Internet before they report sick from work could be beneficial and cost saving.
In this study, we tested the effectiveness over the period of 1 year of a Web-based guided self-help intervention, called Happy@Work, for employees with depressive symptoms who were not on sick leave.
A two-arm randomized controlled trial comparing a worker-directed, Web-based, guided self-help intervention to care as usual (CAU) was carried out. We recruited employees from 6 companies via the company's Intranet and by putting up posters. The inclusion criteria were elevated depressive symptoms as measured by a score ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) and not being on sick leave. The intervention contained 6 lessons and consisted of problem-solving treatment and cognitive therapy. Participants were asked to submit weekly assignments via the website after completion of a lesson and they received feedback from a coach via the website. Self-report questionnaires on depressive symptoms (CES-D; primary outcome), burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory, MBI), work performance (Health and Work Performance Questionnaire, HPQ), duration of absenteeism, and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS; secondary outcomes), were completed at baseline, posttreatment, and at 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Several subgroup and per-protocol analyses were performed.
A total of 231 employees were randomized to either the intervention group (n=116) or to CAU (n=115). Completion of assessments varied between 54%-74%. Improvement in depressive symptoms between baseline and posttreatment was shown in all participants and these effects sustained over time. However, there were no differences between the 2 groups (adjusted regression coefficient=0.46, 95% CI -2.11 to 3.03, P=.72; Cohen's d=0.05). Differences between groups were also not significant for the secondary outcomes. No subgroups were identified to show differences between the groups, nor did we find a between-group effect in the per-protocol analyses.
This study showed that a worker-directed, Web-based, guided self-help intervention was not more effective than CAU in reducing depressive symptoms among employees with depressive symptoms who were not on sick leave over the period of 1 year. An intervention for this specific target group might not be necessary because the recovery in the CAU group was comparable to the intervention group and sustained over a 12-month period.
Nederlands Trial Register (NTR): NTR2993; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=2993 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6PL9pFC0n).
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
There is limited evidence on the cost effectiveness of Internet‐based treatments for depression. The aim was to evaluate the cost effectiveness of guided Internet‐based interventions for ...depression compared to controls.
Methods
Individual–participant data from five randomized controlled trials (RCT), including 1,426 participants, were combined. Cost‐effectiveness analyses were conducted at 8 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months follow‐up.
Results
The guided Internet‐based interventions were more costly than the controls, but not statistically significant (12 months mean difference = €406, 95% CI: − 611 to 1,444). The mean differences in clinical effects were not statistically significant (12 months mean difference = 1.75, 95% CI: − .09 to 3.60 in Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale CES‐D score, .06, 95% CI: − .02 to .13 in response rate, and .00, 95% CI: − .03 to .03 in quality‐adjusted life‐years QALYs). Cost‐effectiveness acceptability curves indicated that high investments are needed to reach an acceptable probability that the intervention is cost effective compared to control for CES‐D and response to treatment (e.g., at 12‐month follow‐up the probability of being cost effective was .95 at a ceiling ratio of 2,000 €/point of improvement in CES‐D score). For QALYs, the intervention's probability of being cost effective compared to control was low at the commonly accepted willingness‐to‐pay threshold (e.g., at 12‐month follow‐up the probability was .29 and. 31 at a ceiling ratio of 24,000 and 35,000 €/QALY, respectively).
Conclusions
Based on the present findings, guided Internet‐based interventions for depression are not considered cost effective compared to controls. However, only a minority of RCTs investigating the clinical effectiveness of guided Internet‐based interventions also assessed cost effectiveness and were included in this individual–participant data meta‐analysis.
Depressive disorders are highly prevalent in the working population and are associated with excessive costs. The evidence for effective worker-directed interventions for employees with depressive ...symptoms is limited. Treating employees with depressive symptoms before sick leave via the Internet could be beneficial and cost saving.
In this study, we developed and tested the effectiveness of a Web-based guided self-help course for employees with depressive symptoms. We report on the posttreatment effectiveness of the intervention.
This study is a two-arm randomized controlled trial comparing a Web-based guided self-help course to care as usual (CAU). We recruited employees from 6 different companies via the companies' intranet and posters. The main inclusion criterion was elevated depressive symptoms as measured by a score of ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D). The intervention (Happy@Work) was based on problem-solving treatment and cognitive therapy and consisted of 6 weekly lessons. Participants were asked to submit their weekly assignment via the website after completion. They subsequently received feedback from a coach via the website. Self-report questionnaires on depressive symptoms (CES-D; primary outcome), anxiety measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), burnout measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and work performance measured by the Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ; secondary outcomes) were completed at baseline and at posttreatment.
A total of 231 employees were randomized to either the intervention group (n=116) or CAU (n=115).The posttreatment assessment was completed by 171 (74.0%) participants. Both the intervention and the CAU group showed significant improvements in the primary outcome of depressive symptoms, but no differences between the conditions was found (d=0.16, 95% CI -0.10 to 0.41, P=.29). Significant but small effects in favor of the intervention group were found for anxiety symptoms (d=0.16, 95% CI -0.09 to 0.42, P=.04) and exhaustion (d=0.17, 95% CI -0.09 to 0.43, P=.02).
This study showed that a Web-based guided self-help course for employees with depressive symptoms was not more effective in reducing depressive symptoms among employees than CAU. Large improvements in depressive symptoms in the CAU group were unforeseen and potential explanations are discussed.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective
This study determined if partial sick leave was associated with a shorter duration of sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) based on routinely collected health data in Dutch ...sick-listed employees. Furthermore, the effect of timing of partial sick leave on sick leave duration was determined.
Methods
This cohort study consisted of 771 employees with partial sick leave and 198 employees with full-time sick leave who participated in an occupational health check, and had sick leave due to MSD for minimally 4 weeks and were diagnosed by an occupational physician. Multivariable linear regression models were performed to determine the effects of partial sick leave (unadjusted and adjusted for confounders and MSD diagnosis) and Kaplan–Meier curves were presented for visualization of return to work for different timings of starting partial sick leave. Furthermore, linear regression analysis were done in subsets of employees with different minimal durations of sick leave to estimate the effects of timing of partial sick leave.
Results
Initial results suggest that partial sick leave was associated with longer sick leave duration, also when adjusted for confounders and sick leave diagnosis. Secondary results which accounted for the timing of partial sick leave suggest that partial sick leave had no effect on the duration of sick leave.
Conclusion
Partial sick leave does not influence MSD sick leave duration in this study when accounting for the timing of partial sick leave.
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a Web-based guided intervention compared with care as usual for employees with depressive symptoms.
METHODS:A total of 231 employees with depressive ...symptoms were randomized. Data were collected at baseline, 8 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months. Analyses were conducted from the societal and employerʼs perspective.
RESULTS:At 12 months, a significant intervention effect on depressive symptoms was found. At a willingness to pay of 0 ( /unit of effect), the interventionʼs probabilities of cost-effectiveness were 0.62 (societal perspective) and 0.55 (employerʼs perspective). There was a 0.63 probability that the intervention resulted in a positive financial return for the employer.
CONCLUSIONS:The interventionʼs cost-effectiveness with regard to depressive symptoms depends on the willingness to pay of societal and company decision makers as well as the probability of cost-effectiveness that they consider acceptable. The intervention is not cost-saving to the employer.
Depressive disorders are highly prevalent in the working population and are associated with excessive costs for both society and companies. Effective treatment for employees with depressive symptoms ...in occupational health care is limited. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an indicated preventive web-based guided self-help course for employees with depressive symptoms.
The study is a two-arm randomized controlled trial comparing a web-based guided self-help course with care-as-usual. The self-help course consists of 6 weekly lessons. Weekly support will be provided by a coach via the website. Subjects in the care-as-usual group do not receive any treatment in addition to regular care. 200 white collar workers from several national and international companies in the Netherlands will be recruited via different methods such as banners on the company's intranet, pamphlets and posters. Subjects will be included when they: have elevated depressive symptoms (score ≥16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale), are 18 years of age or older, have access to the Internet and can be contacted via e-mail. Exclusion criteria are: partial or full work absenteeism, a legal labor dispute with the employer and receiving treatment from the company's occupational health care at study entrance.The primary outcome is depressive symptoms. Secondary outcomes include work absenteeism, work performance, burnout, anxiety, quality of life, health care use and production losses. Outcome data will be collected at 8 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after baseline. Analyses will be based on the intention-to-treat principle. The cost-effectiveness analyses will be performed from a societal and a company's perspective. A process evaluation will be conducted alongside the study.
This study evaluates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a web-based guided self-help course for employees with depressive symptoms. This study could stimulate the use of e-mental health interventions in the worksite setting.
Nederlands Trial Register (NTR): TC2993.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
OBJECTIVE:To examine how various predictors and subgroups of respondents contribute to the prediction of health care and productivity costs in a cohort of employees.
METHODS:We selected 1548 employed ...people from a cohort study with and without depressive and anxiety symptoms or disorders. Prediction rules, using the RuleFit program, were applied to identify predictors and subgroups of respondents, and to predict estimations of subsequent 1-year health care and productivity costs.
RESULTS:Symptom severity and diagnosis of depression and anxiety were the most important predictors of health care costs. Depressive symptom severity was the most important predictor for productivity costs. Several demographic, social, and work predictors did not predict economic costs.
CONCLUSIONS:Our data suggest that from a business perspective it can be beneficial to offer interventions aimed at prevention of depression and anxiety.
Depressive disorders are highly prevalent in the working population and lead to excessive costs. Online interventions have shown to be effective treatments for depression but are not often applied in ...the work setting, despite the importance of work related aspects in the development and perpetuation of depression. We developed a worker-directed web-based intervention for employees with depressive symptoms named Happy@Work. A process evaluation was conducted alongside a randomized controlled trial to assess the feasibility of the intervention and to explore barriers and facilitators for further implementation of the intervention. Employees from different companies in the Netherlands who experienced elevated depressive symptoms and were not on sick leave were eligible to take part in this study. Happy@Work contains six lessons and every lesson has several assignments. When completed, a coach provides feedback to assignments via the website. Process measures investigated were: reach, dose delivered, dose received, and fidelity. Recruitment methods and participant satisfaction with the intervention were described and analyzed as well. Data was collected at baseline and 8weeks later via online questionnaires and data registrations on the website. The implementation score of the intervention was sufficient, but reach of the target population was low. The dose delivered was high, with 93.1% of participants who used the intervention components that were offered to them. However, adherence to the intervention was low; the dose received was 57.8%. The fidelity of the implementation of the intervention was satisfactory. Recruitment of companies and participants was difficult. Participants were satisfied with the different aspects of the intervention, especially with the feedback from the coach. The results of this process evaluation showed that the intervention was conducted according to protocol and seems feasible for further implementation. Potential barriers to further implementation of the intervention include the reach of the target population, intervention adherence and the quality of the feedback. Based on the results of the effectiveness of the intervention, we do not recommend further implementation of the intervention in its current form.
•In this process evaluation we found an implementation score of 63.8%.•93.1% of the participants used the interventions components that were offered.•Participants were satisfied with different aspects of the intervention.•The intervention seems feasible for further implementation.•The effectiveness results of the intervention did not show positive outcomes.•Therefore, we do not recommend implementation of the intervention.
A Common Rejection Module (CRM) consisting of 11 genes expressed in allograft biopsies was previously reported to serve as a biomarker for acute rejection (AR), correlate with the extent of graft ...injury, and predict future allograft damage. We investigated the use of this gene panel on the urine cell pellet of kidney transplant patients. Urinary cell sediments collected from patients with biopsy-confirmed acute rejection, borderline AR (bAR), BK virus nephropathy (BKVN), and stable kidney grafts with normal protocol biopsies (STA) were analyzed for expression of these 11 genes using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). We assessed these 11 CRM genes for their abundance, autocorrelation, and individual expression levels. Expression of 10/11 genes were elevated in AR when compared to STA. Psmb9 and Cxcl10could classify AR versus STA as accurately as the 11-gene model (sensitivity = 93.6%, specificity = 97.6%). A uCRM score, based on the geometric mean of the expression levels, could distinguish AR from STA with high accuracy (AUC = 0.9886) and correlated specifically with histologic measures of tubulitis and interstitial inflammation rather than tubular atrophy, glomerulosclerosis, intimal proliferation, tubular vacuolization or acute glomerulitis. This urine gene expression-based score may enable the non-invasive and quantitative monitoring of AR.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK