Treatment Outcomes and Predictive Factors of the Effectiveness and Adherence of Moodpep: an Online Self-help Intervention for College Students With Depressive Symptoms

Treatment Outcomes and Predictive Factors of the Effectiveness and Adherence of Moodpep: an Online Self-help Intervention for College Students With Depressive Symptoms

Depressive symptoms are prevalent among college students and often remain untreated. E-health interventions may help overcome treatment barriers by offering accessible and flexible support. This study will evaluate the effects of Moodpep, a guided online intervention for college students with depressive symptoms, and will examine predictors of treatment success and adherence.

Eligible for Moodpep were students from the participating universities and universities of applied sciences: VU Amsterdam, Leiden University, Maastricht University, Utrecht University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of Amsterdam, InHolland University of Applied Sciences, Avans University of Applied Sciences and Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences.

The following inclusion criteria for Moodpep were used:

1. age 16 or older;
2. informed consent was provided;
3. reading Dutch and/or English fluently;
4. having access to a device with internet (e.g., computer, laptop);
5. providing complete data at baseline; and
6. no severe depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 total score > 20) or risk of suicidal behavior (based on 3 questions).

This last criterion was removed on May 9, 2023. After data collection, for statistical and content-related reasons, PhD students were removed from the analysis, just as students below 18 and above 30 years old, students who indicated their gender was other and students who completed less than 1 module of the intervention. This was done because the focus of the study was on students and not PhD students who are employees in the Netherlands, most students are between 18 and 30 years old, not enough students of another gender participated to include them separately in the analyses, and we were interested in the effects of Moodpep for students who started the intervention.