Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21712998›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2011

Self-guided psychological treatment for depressive symptoms: a meta-analysis.

Pim Cuijpers, Tara Donker, Robert Johansson, David C Mohr, Annemieke van Straten, Gerhard Andersson

Registry-linked trialAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04839822 (Efficacy of the Digital Self-help Programme Edupression.Com® Evaluated Within a Randomized Controlled Trial in Mild to Moderate Unipolar Depressive Patients), which is not on this map. Cited by 108 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
108citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04839822 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2021, after this paper: background citation

Efficacy of the Digital Self-help Programme Edupression.Com® Evaluated Within a Randomized Controlled Trial in Mild to Moderate Unipolar Depressive Patients

TypeinterventionalSponsorMedical University of ViennaRan2021 to 2023Enrolled250ConditionsDepressive, Episode, Major, Recurrent Depressive Disorder, Current Episode Moderate, Recurrent Depressive Disorder, Current Episode MildArmsedupression.com®, Health tips, Surveys, Popular psychological interventions
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

108 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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48 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Pim CuijpersDepartment of Clinical Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. p.cuijpers@psy.vu.nl
Tara Donker
Robert Johansson
David C Mohr
Annemieke van Straten
Gerhard Andersson

Funding

MULTIDISCIPLINARY CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE (MCTS) PROGRAM (UL1)UL1RR025741 · NCRR · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI GREENLAND, PHILIP · 2008 to 2011
$24.7M
R01C:Preservation and Growth of Human Follicles (4 of 10)RL1HD058295 · NICHD · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AT CHICAGO · PI WOODRUFF, TERESA K · 2007 to 2011
$2.1M
NCRR NIH HHS UL1 RR025741NICHD NIH HHS RL1 HD058295
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA number of trials have examined the effects of self-guided psychological intervention, without any contact between the participants and a therapist or coach. The results and sizes of these trials have been mixed. This is the first quantitative meta-analysis, aimed at organizing and evaluating the literature, and estimating effect size.

methodWe conducted systematic literature searches in PubMed, PsycINFO and Embase up to January 2010, and identified additional studies through earlier meta-analyses, and the references of included studies. We identified seven randomized controlled trials that met our inclusion criteria, with a total of 1,362 respondents. The overall quality of the studies was high. A post-hoc power calculation showed that the studies had sufficient statistical power to detect an effect size of d = 0.19.

resultsThe overall mean effect size indicating the difference between self-guided psychological treatment and control groups at post-test was d = 0.28 (p<0.001), which corresponds to a NNT of 6.41. At 4 to 12 months follow-up the effect size was d = 0.23. There was no indication for significant publication bias.

conclusionsWe found evidence that self-guided psychological treatment has a small but significant effect on participants with increased levels of depressive symptomatology.

Indexed as

AdultDatabases, FactualDepressionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSelf CareYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID21712998
PMCPMC3119687

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.