Developing E-health Services (DES): The Feasibility and Acceptability of Video-conferencing for Adults With Depression

Depression impacts 1 in 5 people in the United Kingdom and is a significant risk factor for self-harming behaviours and suicide. Research has shown that those experiencing depression may feel embarrassed about seeking help from a health professional and ultimately decide not to seek support at all. This project seeks to give those people an alternative option to face-to-face support by developing a new online service using video conferencing technology. In previous studies, this technology has shown to be beneficial in treating a number of mental health problems. It may also be less expensive to run. However, as no widely available services of this type exist in the UK the full extent of potential benefits is unknown. The project seeks to answer the following questions: * What is the likely interest in video conferencing services for depression? * Which groups of people are likely to use the service? * How much will this service cost? * How much change is likely to occur when receiving therapy via video conferencing? In order to answer these questions, Queens University Belfast are collaborating with AWARE NI, the national depression charity for Northern Ireland. Recruitment of participants who are interested in the service and delivery of the video conferencing support groups will be through AWARE NI. Results will be compared from groups that receive the video-conferencing service and those who are on a waiting list. Participants in both groups will be asked to complete surveys and take part in interviews before and after the therapy takes place. The study will have two main phases: Phase 1: The development and in-house testing of an intervention protocol tailored towards Video Conferencing (VC) based delivery of current face-to-face peer support services. This will include interviews with facilitators, staff and current AWARE NI service users and observations of face to face groups. Phase 2: Delivery of an 8-week group based VC support service for adults with depression. A between groups design comparing the intervention group and a waiting list control group will be used. Outcome measures will be recorded at baseline, week eight and six months using validated measures. Qualitative data in the form of interviews and fieldwork observations will also be gathered during this 8-week period. Results will be used to inform development of a larger trial to test the effectiveness of group based video conferencing for adults with depression.