Headspace as a guided self-help mindfulness course for depression
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Headspace as a PWP-guided online self-help mindfulness intervention for depressive symptoms in IAPT: A feasibility study
IRAS ID
229487
Contact name
Clara Strauss
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 29 days
Research summary
Depression has serious personal and economic consequences. Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) is an NHS initiative that aims to improve access to psychological therapies for people experiencing depression and anxiety. People experiencing depression are typically offered cognitive behavioural therapy self-help (CBT-SH) supported by a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP). However, completion rates and outcomes for IAPT CBT-SH treatment are disappointing; only around 40% of referrals complete treatment, but 58% of people who complete treatment remain depressed.
This feasibility study aims to investigate an alternative treatment to CBT-SH in IAPT, specifically, an online/smartphone app mindfulness-based self-help programme. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have found group mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to be effective for reducing current depressive symptoms and risk of depressive relapse. Benefits of providing MBIs in a self-help format include widening access to people unable or unwilling to attend a group and reducing the cost of delivery. There is an increasing body of evidence for the effectiveness and completion rates of self-help MBIs for depression, although self-help mindfulness delivered online or through smartphone applications has yet to be tested in IAPT.
The current feasibility study aims to investigate recruitment, retention, acceptability, and effectiveness of an online and smartphone application-delivered MBI, Headspace, as a PWP-guided self-help intervention for depressive symptoms in IAPT. Participants will be adults experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of depression, who will be asked to engage in a 30-session Headspace foundation programme and six PWP support sessions during an 8-week period. Quantitative and qualitative data will be gathered to assess intervention recruitment, retention, acceptability, and preliminary indicators of potential effectiveness. If Headspace is found to be feasible, this will inform the design of further studies, which may eventually inform decision making about the provision of Headspace in IAPT to benefit patients experiencing moderate depression.
REC name
London - Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/1032
Date of REC Opinion
6 Jul 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion