Resource-enhancing group intervention against depression at workplace: who benefits? A randomised controlled study with a 7-month follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether participation in a structured resource-enhancing group intervention at work would act as primary prevention against depression. The authors analysed whether the intervention resulted in universal, selected or indicated prevention.


METHODS
A total of 566 persons participated in a prospective, within-organisation, randomly assigned field experimental study, which consisted of 34 workshops in 17 organisations. The participants filled in a questionnaire, were randomly assigned to either intervention (n=296) or comparison (n=324) groups and returned another questionnaire 7 months later. The intervention, lasting four half-day sessions, was delivered by trainers from occupational health services and human resources. The aim of the structured programme was to enhance participants' career management preparedness by strengthening self-efficacy and inoculation against setbacks. The comparison group received a literature package. The authors measured depressive symptoms using the short version of the Beck Depression Inventory. A high number of depressive symptoms (over 9 points) were used as a proxy for depression.


RESULTS
At follow-up, the odds of depression were lower in the intervention group (OR=0.40, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.85) than in the comparison group when adjusted for baseline depressive symptoms, job strain and socio-demographics. In addition, the odds of depression among those with job strain (OR=0.15, 95% CI 0.03-0.81) at baseline were lower after the intervention. The intervention had no statistically significant effect on those with depressive symptoms (over 4 points) at baseline.


CONCLUSIONS
The resource-enhancing group intervention appeared to be successful as universal and selective prevention of potential depression.
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland. kirsi.ahola@ttl.fi
Kirsi
K
Ahola
Jukka
J
Vuori
Salla
S
Toppinen-Tanner
Pertti
P
Mutanen
Teija
T
Honkonen
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006295:Health Resources; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D009786:Occupational Health Services; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017132:Workplace