Effects of a cognitive behavioral self-help program on depressed mood for people with acquired chronic physical impairments: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Objective: Aim was to examine whether a new cognitive-behavioral self-help intervention program was effective in improving depressed mood in people with acquired chronic physical impairments.

Methods: Participants were 32 persons with acquired chronic physical impairments and depressive symptoms, who were randomly allocated to the Cognitive-Behavioral Self-help program (CBS) or the Waiting List Control group (WLC). Depression scores were assessed at three measurement moments: at pretest, immediately after completion of the intervention (posttest), and again two months later (follow-up). To evaluate changes in depression scores, Repeated Measures ANCOVA's were performed.

Results: It was shown that respondents who followed the CBS significantly improved compared to the WLC after completion of the program, and that this positive effect remained at 2-months follow-up.

Conclusion: A cognitive-behavioral self-help intervention can be an effective tool to reduce depressive symptoms in people with physical impairments.

Practice implications: A self-help program may prove to be more cost-effective for individuals and for the health care system as a whole. In addition, because a self-help intervention program can be delivered through mail or internet, a high number of people could be reached while overcoming geographical and social barriers to treatment. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.