Martínez P, Rojas G, Martínez V, Lara MA, Pérez C. (2018). Internet-based intervention for the prevention and treatment of depression in people living in developing countries. Journal of Affective Disorders. 234: 193-200 doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.02.079
Researchers conducted a literature search for articles evaluating the feasibility or effectiveness of internet-based interventions for the prevention or treatment of depression in developing countries. Studies were not excluded based on participant depression levels or whether the intervention involved human support. Researchers reviewed the intervention characteristics (e.g., intervention goal, guiding principles, presence of additional support, dose), study characteristics (e.g., design, comparators, outcomes evaluated, follow-up periods), and main results in the target outcomes. Six articles were selected for review. Five articles evaluated depression prevention interventions and 1 article evaluated an intervention for treating depression. Five studies evaluated feasibility, including 1 that evaluated preliminary effectiveness, and 1 was a study protocol. Studies were conducted in the Americas (n=4) and east and southeast Asia (n=2). Three studies found more than 80% of active intervention users or intervention completers were satisfied with evaluated internet interventions or found the intervention useful. The single preliminary effectiveness study evaluated an internet-based intervention for the prevention of postpartum depression and found that women who received the internet-based intervention were at significantly less risk of postpartum depression compared to women who did not receive the intervention. While internet-based interventions may be well suited for addressing depression in developing countries, researchers note that research evaluating such interventions is still in the early stages.