BluePages Depression Information (Australia)

Description:

BluePages provides information about the symptoms, treatment and management of depression.  It evaluates medical, psychological, and alternative/lifestyle approaches to its treatment.  Online quizzes allow the users to assess levels of anxiety and depression relative to community levels. The site also provides information about a range of resources where people can access support and treatment. 

Service URL:

http://www.bluepages.anu.edu.au

Agency Responsible:

eHub Health and Australian National University.

Details

Format:

Website.

Intervention Type:

Educational (primarily educational material or psychoeducation). Provides information about symptoms and treatments for depression, and links to online, in person and telephone resources for treatment

Course Length:

Moderate (2-5 modules). Four major components, a community forum ‘BlueBoard’ and a search function

Support Option:

No support.

Target Audience

Primary Category:

Depression.

Target Audiences:

Child, Adolescent, Adult and Older Adult. All ages

Languages:

English and Norwegian.

Access

Fee:

Free.

Access:

Open: No registration required.

Contact Details:

https://bluepages.anu.edu.au/index.php?id=contact-us

Research evidence

Research Trials:

3

Research RCTs:

3

Outcome Summary:

In a randomised controlled study the psycho-education provided through BluePages was shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression.  Use of the website was shown to reduce symptoms by 3 points on the CES-D, to improve users understanding of depression and knowledge about effective treatments, and to reduce personal stigma. An effect size of d=0.57 was observed between the intervention and control groups. Moreover, symptoms of depression were found to be lower than that of controls at 12 months.   

 

Additionally, two subsequent randomised controlled studies have provided supporting evidence in favour of the effectiveness of BluePages when used in combination with the online cognitive-behavioural program MoodGYM.  The first of these RCTs examined the efficacy of the combined use of the Norwegian version of these two programs.  This study found the programs were effective in reducing symptoms of depression and negative automatic thoughts and in increasing depression literacy among a university student population. Similarly, the most recent RCT compared the use of BluePages + MoodGYM with a no-treatment control condition among national helpline callers.  Indeed, use of these programs in combination resulted in a significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms as well as lower levels of hazardous alcohol use, improved scores on measures of CBT literacy and quality of life. A subsequent paper analysing determinants of adherence found that participants with lower initial levels of depressive symptoms benefitted more from the combined treatment.

Recommended rating, reviewer 1:

Recommended rating, reviewer 2:

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Research paper citations

(1) Christensen, H., Griffiths, K. M., & Jorm, A. F. (2004). Delivering interventions for depression by using the Internet: Randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal, 328, 265-268.

(2) Farrer, L., Christensen, H., Griffiths, K.M., Mackinnon, A. (2011)  Internet-based CBT for depression with and without telephone tracking in a national helpline: randomised controlled trial.  PloS one, 6(11): e28099.

(3) Farrer, L., Christensen, H., Griffiths, K.M., Mackinnon, A. (2012) Web-based cognitive behavior therapy for depression with and without telephone tracking in a national helpline: secondary outcomes from a randomized controlled trial.  Journal of Medical Internet Research.  14(3): e68

(4) Griffiths, K. M., Christensen, H., Jorm, A. F., Evans, K., & Groves, C. (2004). Effect of Web-based depression literacy and cognitive-behavioural therapy interventions on stigmatising attitudes to depression: Randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry, 185, 342-349.

(5) Lintvedt, O. K., Griffiths, K. M., Sørensen, K., Østvik, A. R., Wang, C. E., Eisemann, M., & Waterloo, K. (2013). Evaluating the effectiveness and efficacy of unguided internet‐based self‐help intervention for the prevention of depression: a randomized controlled trial. Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, 20(1), 10-27.

(6) Mackinnon, A., Griffiths, K. M., & Christensen, H. (2008). Comparative randomised trial of online cognitive-behavioural therapy and an information website for depression:12-month outcomes. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 192, 130-134

(7) Farrer, L. M., Griffiths, K. M., Christensen, H., Mackinnon, A. J., & Batterham, P. J. (2014). Predictors of adherence and outcome in internet-based cognitive behavior therapy delivered in a telephone counseling setting. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 38(3), 358-367.