Are complaint-directed mini-interventions for sleeping, stress and worrying an enrichment for depression prevention? Results of a one-group pretest-posttest study
Research indicates that depression prevention reaches fewer people in lower socio-economic groups as compared to higher socio-economic groups. This gave rise to the development of an alternative concept: complaint-directed miniinterventions. In a pilot with a one-group pretest-posttest design, we examined the outcomes of three complaint-directed mini-interventions aimed at sleeping, stress and worrying. Furthermore, we identified subgroups who potentially benefit from these interventions with a special interest in groups with a low socio-economic status (SES). In a total sample of 135 Dutch adults who participated in one of the three interventions, levels of well-being, depression, anxiety, sleeping problems, stress and worrying were measured at baseline and at three-month follow-up. All three interventions yielded significant improvements on the specific complaints they aimed at (sleeping, stress or worrying). A reduction of levels of depression and stress was observed in all interventions. Moreover, the data indicate demographic variations in the impact of the interventions based on sex, education, age and having paid employment. Carefully, we conclude that complaint-directed mini-interventions have the potential to contribute to depression prevention, also among low SES populations. It is recommended to conduct a randomised controlled trial to examine to what extent these effects can be attributed to the interventions.