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Depression treatment

Deprexis online therapy reduced depression scores

Meyer B, Berger T, Caspar F, et al. · Journal of medical Internet research · 2009

Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC

An integrative online program (Deprexis) improved BDI depression symptoms versus delayed treatment in a large German internet RCT.

Study at a glance

Design
RCT — Immediate Deprexis vs delayed treatment; online recruitment
N
N=396 · 81% assigned to immediate treatment
Population
Adults with depression symptoms recruited online for Deprexis
Outcome
BDI change over time (condition × time)

Structured fields used in claim comparison tables when every cited study has a complete layer.

Key findings

Immediate treatment improved ~5.4 BDI points (d=0.58) with a significant condition×time interaction; delayed group showed essentially no BDI change over the same interval.

Methodology

Researchers randomized 396 adults recruited online to immediate Deprexis treatment or delayed treatment and compared BDI and functioning over time.

Limitations

How Deprexis compares head-to-head with face-to-face CBT, or effects in people without internet access/forum recruitment.

How this study connects

Role on claims

Each row is a claim on a concept or method page where this paper supports, challenges, or qualifies the statement. Roles are hand-checked — not a model guess.

  • SupportsDepression Treatmentconcept

    Multiple studies in this library examine depression treatment with empirical patient or population outcomes rather than opinion alone.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

  • SupportsDepression Treatmentconcept

    Immediate treatment improved ~5.4 BDI points (d=0.58) with a significant condition×time interaction; delayed group showed essentially no BDI change over the same interval.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

  • SupportsDepression Treatmentconcept

    Effect sizes and settings differ across depression treatment studies — digital vs clinic, trial vs observational — so results should not be pooled casually.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

  • Adjunctive smartphone CBT in antidepressant-refractory major depression used ITT on 164 randomised participants: at week 9 the Kokoro-app arm scored about 2.5 PHQ-9 points lower (SMD 0.40) and was more likely to meet response criteria, while remission and side-effect differences were not significant. Deprexis, in 396 adults recruited online, improved BDI by about 5.4 points (d=0.58) versus delayed treatment. Neither ITT result is a head-to-head against face-to-face CBT or a long-term relapse trial.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

Open questions

Tensions this paper is part of

From concept pages' “where studies disagree.” Disagreement means the same question; scope means different assays, populations, or outcomes.

Related papers in this topic

Same topic cluster — not a recommendation engine.