Low-Intensity Depression Interventions Work, Even for the Moderately Depressed

Stepped-care approaches for depression emphasize treatment for less-symptomatic patients, beginning with low-intensity interventions. However, data are limited on whether response to such interventions is confined to less-severely ill patients. These researchers examined patient-level outcome data on 2470 patients in a meta-analysis of 16 studies of low-intensity interventions (e.g., interactive electronic interventions or self-help books, with limited professional contact). Depression severity ranged broadly, well into the moderate level.

More-severely symptomatic patients showed marginally greater intervention effects than less-severely ill patients. Group differences, however, were small and unlikely to be of clinically significance.