Cited by 88Digital Mental Health InterventionsMental Health Treatment and AccessMobile Health and mHealth Applications

Participants, Usage, and Use Patterns of a Web-Based Intervention for the Prevention of Depression Within a Randomized Controlled Trial

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Kelders, Saskia M, Bohlmeijer, Ernst T, Van Gemert-Pijnen, Julia EWC·2013·Journal of Medical Internet Research

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although Web-based interventions have been shown to be effective, they are not widely implemented in regular care. Nonadherence (ie, participants not following the intervention protocol) is an issue. By studying the way Web-based interventions are used and whether there are differences between adherers (ie, participants that started all 9 lessons) and nonadherers, more insight can be gained into the process of adherence. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to (1) describe the characteristics of participants and investigate their relationship with adherence, (2) investigate the utilization of the different features of the intervention and possible differences between adherers and nonadherers, and (3) identify what use patterns emerge and whether there are differences between adherers and nonadherers. METHODS: Data were used from 206 participants that used the Web-based intervention Living to the full, a Web-based intervention for the prevention of depression employing both a fully automated and human-supported format. Demographic and baseline characteristics of participants were collected by using an online survey. Log data were collected within the Web-based intervention itself. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed. RESULTS: In all, 118 participants fully adhered to the intervention (ie, started all 9 lessons). Participants with an ethnicity other than Dutch were more often adherers (χ²₁=5.5, P=.02), and nonadherers used the Internet more hours per day on average (F₁,₂₀₃=3.918, P=.049). A logistic regression showed that being female (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.01-4.04; P=.046) and having a higher need for cognition (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00-1.05; P=.02) increased the odds of adhering to the intervention. Overall, participants logged in an average of 4 times per lesson, but adherers logged in significantly more times per lesson than nonadherers (F₁,₂₀₄=20.710; P<.001). For use patterns, we saw that early nonadherers seemed to use fewer sessions and spend less time than late nonadherers and adherers, and fewer sessions to complete the lesson than adherers. Furthermore, late nonadherers seemed to have a shorter total duration of sessions than adherers. CONCLUSIONS: By using log data combined with baseline characteristics of participants, we extracted valuable lessons for redesign of this intervention and the design of Web-based interventions in general. First, although characteristics of respondents can significantly predict adherence, their predictive value is small. Second, it is important to design Web-based interventions to foster adherence and usage of all features in an intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Dutch Trial Register Number: NTR3007; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=3007 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6ILhI3rd8).

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  • Adherence to a Web-based intervention can be predicted on the usage patterns of an intervention.

    “Recent studies have shown that adherence to a Web-based intervention can be predicted on the usage patterns of an intervention [8,9].”

    From Understanding the usage of content in a mental health intervention for depression: an analysis of log data. (2014) · cites this paper as [9]

    The Results (Use Patterns; page unavailable) describe differences in usage between adherers and nonadherers, and the Discussion (Principal Results; page unavailable) proposes using those differences to identify participants at risk of nonadherence. But the paper did not establish a predictive model based on usage patterns; its logistic regression predicted adherence from baseline participant characteristics. The claim presents a proposed application as an established finding. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • For realizing effects, the uptake of all features of the intervention is important.

    “The study found that the predictive value of characteristics of participants on adherence is very small and that for realizing effects the uptake of all features of the intervention is important.”

    From Understanding the usage of content in a mental health intervention for depression: an analysis of log data. (2014) · cites this paper as [9]

    The Conclusion says participant characteristics have small predictive value for adherence and recommends designing interventions to foster use of all features. The Discussion links greater feature use to improved outcomes only as an ideal goal; it does not establish that uptake of all features is necessary to realize effects. The indexed passages provide section labels but no page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The number of logins in the first week of a treatment process or the number of active days in the first week can be used as predictors for adherence to the interventions.

    “For example, the number of logins in the first week of a treatment process or the number of active days in the first week can be used as predictors for adherence to the interventions.”

    From Understanding the usage of content in a mental health intervention for depression: an analysis of log data. (2014) · cites this paper as [9]

    The Results (Usage; page unavailable) report that adherers logged in significantly more often per lesson than nonadherers. They do not establish that first-week logins or first-week active days predict later adherence; the reported adherence prediction analysis instead used baseline characteristics (Results, Adherence; page unavailable). (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The use of the intervention (adherence rate) fluctuated over time, with critical moments for dropout appearing in Lessons 3 and 6.

    “The use of the intervention (adherence rate) fluctuated over time; critical moments for dropout appeared in Lessons 3 and 6 [9].”
  • High active users can benefit more from the intervention.

    “The aforementioned studies [7,9] found that high active users can benefit more from the intervention, but that more insight is needed in how use of a program of therapy impacts outcomes.”

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1 of the 55 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [36]Kelders SM University of Twente 2012 2013-08-05 Enschede, The Netherlands University of Twente Understanding adherence to Web-based interventions [thesis] http://doc.utwente.nl/81967/
  2. [55]Fogg BJ Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do 2003 Boston Morgan Kaufmann

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Authors
Kelders, S. M., Bohlmeijer, E. T., & Van Gemert-Pijnen, J. E.
Affiliations
  • National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (NL)
  • University of Twente (NL)
Corresponding author
Kelders, Saskia M
Venue
Journal of Medical Internet Research
Published
2013-08-20
Volume
15
Issue
8
Pages
e172
ISSN
1438-8871 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2027534121
Cited by
88
References
55
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 5
FWCI
10.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Journal of Medical Internet Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • University of Twente Research Information (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Rivm (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) (submittedVersion)
  • University of Twente Research Information (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Mobile Health and mHealth Applications
Keywords
online intervention, depression prevention, intervention adherence, usage patterns, logs, need for cognition, gender differences, ethnicity, internet use, participant characteristics
MeSH terms
Adult, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Internet

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