Program Reviews

Master Your Mood (MYM)

Program Overview

Master Your Mood (MYM) is an online group course aimed at treating depression in adolescents and young adults.

The MYM online program consists of six 90-minute group sessions facilitated by one or two trained mental health professionals. The course is instructed via secured online chatroom. Reminder texts are sent an hour before each session. The purpose of MYM is to restructure thinking patterns by way of cognitive development. Participants are encouraged to change their unproductive, unrealistic thoughts into helpful, realistic ones. A mood monitor exists to track patterns of activities and moods. Transcripts are available at the end of each session for participants and providers to read through.

Link to Dutch commercial site here.

Delivery:
Web-based

Theoretical Approaches:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Target Outcome(s):
Depression

Ages:
Adolescents (16-17)
Young Adults (18-25)

Genders:
Male
Female

Races/Ethnicities:
Not specified

Setting(s):
Not specified

Geographic Location:
Urban
Suburban
Rural

Country:
The Netherlands

Language:
Dutch

Evaluations

  • van der Zanden R, Kramer J, Gerrits R, Cuijpers P. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2012. 14(3):86. PMCID: PMC3414873

    Summary: Internet-based, therapist-assisted, cognitive therapy interventions have been found as effective at treating depression as traditional psychological approaches. However, there is a lack of outcome studies for adolescents and young adults with symptoms of depression. In this study, 244 young people aged 16-25 with mild to moderate depressive symptoms were randomized into two parallel arms: one intervention group and one waitlist control group. After three months of using Master Your Mood (MYM), participants in the intervention group showed significant signs of improvement in depression, anxiety, and sense of control. These effects were also present at the 6-month follow-up.

    Take Away: The MYM online group program is effective at reducing depression and anxiety in adolescents and young adults, while also increasing their sense of control.

  • Effectiveness of an online group course for adolescents and young adults with depressive symptoms: study protocol for a randomized control trial. van der Danden R, Kramer J, Cuijpers P. Trials. 2011 12(1): 196. PMCID: PMC3169464