TY - JOUR
T1 - An early intervention to promote well-being and flourishing and reduce anxiety and depression
T2 - A randomized controlled trial
AU - Schotanus-Dijkstra, Marijke
AU - Drossaert, Constance H.C.
AU - Pieterse, Marcel E.
AU - Boon, Brigitte
AU - Walburg, Jan A.
AU - Bohlmeijer, Ernst T.
PY - 2017/9/1
Y1 - 2017/9/1
N2 - Background There is growing evidence that fostering mental well-being and flourishing might effectively prevent mental disorders. In this study, we examined whether a 9-week comprehensive positive self-help intervention with email support (TL-E) was effective in enhancing well-being and flourishing and decreasing anxiety and depressive symptoms in a non-clinical sample. Methods A total of 275 participants with low or moderate well-being (mean age = 48 years, 86% female) were randomly assigned to a TL-E (n = 137) or wait-list control group (WL; n = 138). Participants completed online self-reporting questionnaires at baseline and at 3, 6 and 12 months. Results Repeated measure analyses revealed significant more improvement on mental well-being (F = 42.00, p ≤ 0.001, d = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.42–0.90), anxiety (F = 21.65, p ≤ 0.001, d = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.39–0.87) and depression (F = 13.62, p ≤ 0.001, d = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.19–0.67) in the TL-E group versus the WL group. The proportion of flourishing in the TL-E group increased from 7 to 30% after 3 months (NNT = 5.46) and to 34% after 6 months (NNT = 5.25). All within group effects were maintained up to 12 months. We found no meaningful dose-response relationship for adherence, nor a clear moderator pattern. Limitations It is unknown whether results were influenced by the email support that accompanied the self-help intervention since TL-E was only compared to a wait-list condition. The generalizability of the findings is limited by the self-selected sample of mainly higher-educated women. Conclusion A guided positive self-help intervention might be considered as a new mental health promotion strategy because it has the potential to improve well-being up to the status of flourishing mental health, and to decrease anxiety and depressive symptomatology.
AB - Background There is growing evidence that fostering mental well-being and flourishing might effectively prevent mental disorders. In this study, we examined whether a 9-week comprehensive positive self-help intervention with email support (TL-E) was effective in enhancing well-being and flourishing and decreasing anxiety and depressive symptoms in a non-clinical sample. Methods A total of 275 participants with low or moderate well-being (mean age = 48 years, 86% female) were randomly assigned to a TL-E (n = 137) or wait-list control group (WL; n = 138). Participants completed online self-reporting questionnaires at baseline and at 3, 6 and 12 months. Results Repeated measure analyses revealed significant more improvement on mental well-being (F = 42.00, p ≤ 0.001, d = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.42–0.90), anxiety (F = 21.65, p ≤ 0.001, d = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.39–0.87) and depression (F = 13.62, p ≤ 0.001, d = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.19–0.67) in the TL-E group versus the WL group. The proportion of flourishing in the TL-E group increased from 7 to 30% after 3 months (NNT = 5.46) and to 34% after 6 months (NNT = 5.25). All within group effects were maintained up to 12 months. We found no meaningful dose-response relationship for adherence, nor a clear moderator pattern. Limitations It is unknown whether results were influenced by the email support that accompanied the self-help intervention since TL-E was only compared to a wait-list condition. The generalizability of the findings is limited by the self-selected sample of mainly higher-educated women. Conclusion A guided positive self-help intervention might be considered as a new mental health promotion strategy because it has the potential to improve well-being up to the status of flourishing mental health, and to decrease anxiety and depressive symptomatology.
KW - Anxiety
KW - Depression
KW - Flourishing
KW - Mental health promotion
KW - Mental well-being
KW - Self-help with Email support
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85019464018&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.invent.2017.04.002
DO - 10.1016/j.invent.2017.04.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85019464018
SN - 2214-7829
VL - 9
SP - 15
EP - 24
JO - Internet interventions
JF - Internet interventions
ER -