Spiritual Intervention for Persons With Depression

Effect of a Community-oriented Spiritual Intervention Programme in Persons With Depression: a Randomized Wait-list Control Trial

Mental health is an integral part of health and depression has become a common and serious mental disorder. The research study aims to explore the effectiveness of spiritual intervention in persons with depression.

This study aims to develop a community-oriented spiritual intervention programme that focuses on connectedness and to explore its effectiveness in persons with depression.

Objectives:

1. To evaluate the effect of this spiritual intervention on reducing depressive symptoms.
2. To evaluate the effect of spiritual intervention on enhancing hope, meaning in life, self-esteem, and social support.
3. To examine the moderatioon effect of demographic variables on the intervention effect in reducing the depressive and anxiety symptoms, and ennhancing hope, meaning in life, self-esteem, and social support.
4. To examine participant's perspectives on the healing mechanisms of the intervention.

The study is conducted as a randomized-controlled trial using a wait-list control group for comparison. The wait-list control group will receive the intervention after the completion of the post-questionnaire.

The intervention is an 8 session weekly programme. Each weekly session is around 2 hours in length and the content is as below:

1. Spirituality, mental health and depression
2. Connectedness
3. Forgiving and freedom
4. Suffering and transcendence
5. Hope
6. Gratitude
7. Relapse prevention and spiritual growth
8. Wrap-up and celebration

Inclusion Criteria:

• Hong Kong Chinese residents who can communicate in Cantonese;
• Religious or non-religious but have no objection to Christian faith rituals;
• Screening by PHQ-9 with score of 5-14 out of 27; and
• Willing to give informed consent and comply with the trial protocol.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Receiving any form of psychotherapy in the past 3 months;
• Significant cognitive impairment that is difficult to follow instructions;
• Lifetime history of psychosis that make the person unable to understand and follow instructions;
• Strong suicidal risk as rated by PHQ-9 item on suicide (score equal or more than 2), those with severe depression and strong suicidal ideas will be referred to seek professional help; and
• Adjustment of medication (antidepressant) within the past 3 months.