The impact of providing personalized depression risk information on self-help and help-seeking behaviors: Results from a mixed methods randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of providing personalized depression risk information on self-help and help-seeking behaviors among individuals who are at high risk of having a major depressive episode (MDE). MATERIALS AND METHODS In a mixed methods randomized controlled trial, participants who were at high risk of having a MDE, were recruited from across Canada, and were randomized into intervention (n = 358) and control (n = 354) groups. Participants in the intervention group received their personalized depression risk estimated by sex-specific risk prediction models for MDE. All participants were assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 months. RESULTS Repeated measure mixed effects modeling showed significant between group differences in self-help scores. In the complete case analysis, the between group difference in mean self-help change score was 1.13 at 12 months (effect size = 0.16). Among participants who reported "fair" or "poor health," the between group difference in mean self-help change score was 2.78 at 12 months (effect size = 0.35). The qualitative data revealed three themes and the findings are consistent with the quantitative results. CONCLUSIONS Providing personalized depression risk information has a positive impact on self-help in high-risk individuals, particularly in those with poor health.