SynthesisBMC psychiatry2021
Efficacy of web-based self-management interventions for depressive symptoms: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Providing Human Support for the Use of Digital Mental Health Interventions: Systematic Meta-review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- Efficacy of computer- and/or internet-based cognitive-behavioral guided self-management for depression in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.BMC psychiatry · 2022Pooled it
- Short-Term Findings From Testing EPIO, a Digital Self-Management Program for People Living With Chronic Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Trial
- Scalable and Privacy-Conscious End-to-End Processing of Large-Scale Clinical Data for Precision Medicine: Empirical Evaluation Study.JMIR medical informatics · 2026Article
- [Self-help offers for people with severe mental illness: who uses which format?]Der Nervenarzt · 2025Observational
- Predictors of participation in online self-management programs: A longitudinal observational study.Rehabilitation psychology · 2024Observational
- Assessing the effectiveness of internet-based interventions for mental health outcomes: an umbrella review.General psychiatry · 2024Review
- Internet-based self-administered intervention to reduce anxiety and depression symptomatology and improve well-being in 7 countries: protocol of a randomized control trial.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Effects of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy on anxiety and depressive symptoms among patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Review
- Long-Term Efficacy of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Self-Help Programs for Adults With Depression: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.JMIR mental health · 2023Review
- Adapting a Telephone-Based, Dyadic Self-management Program to Be Delivered Over the Web: Methodology and Usability Testing.JMIR formative research · 2023Article
- Internet-delivered therapist-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy for gambling disorder: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe incidence of depression is increasing worldwide. Depression can lead to poor physical health and even suicide. However, in high-income countries, only about 50% of the people with depression receive appropriate therapy, and the detection rate of depression in low- and middle-income countries is relatively lower. Web-based self-management enables remote treatment and solves the problem of insufficient psychological treatment resources. Many past studies have evaluated the effectiveness of web-based self-management of depression, but there has been no synthesis of evidence. Therefore, this study conducted a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of web-based self-management for depressive symptoms.
methodSix electronic databases (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO) were searched in September 2020. All literature referring to the effects of web-based self-management on depression were shortlisted by performing the medical subject headings (MeSH) search combined with a text word search.
resultsA total of 18 eligible randomized controlled trials were identified, and the results from 3055 participants were consolidated. The web-based self-management group exhibited a greater reduction in depressive symptoms than the control group (g = - 0.46; 95% CI: 0.62,0.30), and there was no evidence of publication bias. Subgroup analysis revealed that patients with moderate-to-severe depression benefited from web-based self-management interventions. In terms of interventions, those based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) were highly effective. We noted that the longer the intervention time, the better was the improvement in the status of depression. Furthermore, it was established that participants who communicated with therapists and showed greater adherence to the intervention experienced significant improvement in their symptoms. The results of the intervention group were better than those of the waiting-list, treatment-as-usual, and online psychoeducation groups.
conclusionsWeb-based self-management is a promising therapy for depression. Future research should aim to refine these aspects of the intervention to achieve a beneficial impact.
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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.