Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26275718›Full record

Trial reportBMC psychiatry2015

Counselling versus low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy for persistent sub-threshold and mild depression (CLICD): a pilot/feasibility randomised controlled trial.

Elizabeth Freire, Christopher Williams, Claudia-Martina Messow, Mick Cooper, Robert Elliott, Alex McConnachie, Andrew Walker, Deborah Heard, Jill Morrison

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC psychiatry, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
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

9 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Elizabeth FreireFederal University of Juiz de Fora, Research Center in Spirituality and Health - NUPES School of Medicine, Av. Eugênio do Nascimento s/n°, Bairro Dom Bosco, CEP: 36038-330, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil. bethfrei@gmail.com.
Christopher WilliamsPsychosocial Psychiatry, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Administration Building Gartnavel Royal Hospital, 1055 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G12 0XH, UK. chris.williams@glasgow.ac.uk.
Claudia-Martina MessowRobertson Centre for Biostatistics, University of Glasgow, Boyd Orr Building University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK. martina.messow@glasgow.ac.uk.
Mick CooperDepartment of Psychology, University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London, SW15 4JD, UK. mick.cooper@roehampton.ac.uk.
Robert ElliottCounselling Unit, School of Psychological Sciences & Health, University of Strathclyde, GH507 Graham Hills Building, 40 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1QE, UK. robert.elliott@strath.ac.uk.
Alex McConnachieRobertson Centre for Biostatistics, University of Glasgow, Boyd Orr Building University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK. alex.mcconnachie@glasgow.ac.uk.
Andrew WalkerRobertson Centre for Biostatistics, University of Glasgow, Boyd Orr Building University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK. andrew.walker@glasgow.ac.uk.
Deborah HeardCounselling Unit, School of Psychological Sciences & Health, University of Strathclyde, GH507 Graham Hills Building, 40 George Street, Glasgow, G1 1QE, UK. deborah.heard@gmail.com.
Jill MorrisonGeneral Practice and Primary Care, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, 1 Horselethill Road, Glasgow, G12 9LX, UK. jill.morrison@glasgow.ac.uk.
University of Glasgow · GBUniversity of Strathclyde · GBUniversidade Federal de Juiz de Fora · BRUniversity of Roehampton · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPersistent depressive symptoms below the threshold criteria for major depression represent a chronic condition with high risk of progression to a diagnosis of major depression. The evidence base for psychological treatments such as Person-Centred Counselling and Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for sub-threshold depressive symptoms and mild depression is limited, particularly for longer-term outcomes.

methodsThis study aimed to test the feasibility of delivering a randomised controlled trial into the clinical and cost effectiveness of Low-Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy versus Person-Centred Counselling for patients with persistent sub-threshold depressive symptoms and mild depression. The primary outcome measures for this pilot/feasibility trial were recruitment, adherence and retention rates at six months from baseline. An important secondary outcome measure was recovery from, or prevention of, depression at six months assessed via a structured clinical interview by an independent assessor blind to the participant's treatment condition. Thirty-six patients were recruited in five general practices and were randomised to either eight weekly sessions of person-centred counselling each lasting up to an hour, or up to eight weeks of cognitive-behavioural self-help resources with guided telephone support sessions lasting 20-30 minutes each.

resultsRecruitment rate in relation to the number of patients approached at the general practices was 1.8 %. Patients attended an average of 5.5 sessions in both interventions. Retention rate for the 6-month follow-up assessments was 72.2 %. Of participants assessed at six months, 71.4 % of participants with a diagnosis of mild depression at baseline had recovered, while 66.7 % with a diagnosis of persistent subthreshold depression at baseline had not developed major depression. There were no significant differences between treatment groups for both recovery and prevention of depression at six months or on any of the outcome measures.

conclusionsIt is feasible to recruit participants and successfully deliver both interventions in a primary care setting to patients with subthreshold and mild depression; however recruiting requires significant input at the general practices. The evidence from this study suggests that short-term Person-Centred Counselling and Low-Intensity Cognitive Behaviour Therapy are potentially effective and their effectiveness should be evaluated in a larger randomised controlled study which includes a health economic evaluation.

trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN60972025 .

Indexed as

Cognitive Behavioral TherapyCounselingAdultDepressionFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedOutcome Assessment, Health CarePilot ProjectsPrimary Health CarePsychotherapy, Brief

Identifiers

PMID26275718
PMCPMC4536887
OpenAlexW2131001935

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.