College students experience a high prevalence of mood disorders, largely due to unstable life structure. This group encounters multiple barriers in accessing mental health treatment, including a...Show moreCollege students experience a high prevalence of mood disorders, largely due to unstable life structure. This group encounters multiple barriers in accessing mental health treatment, including a demanding schedules limited time, stigma, and a tight budget. Moodpep, an online eHealth intervention designed to address depressive symptoms, helps overcome these barriers. This study investigated the effectiveness of Moodpep, a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy based online intervention for students with depressive symptoms, and examined whether its effects persisted during follow-up. Additionally, this study explored the impact of gender, concurrent treatment, and the differential improvement between clinically and subclinically depressed participants. The sample consisted of 255 students from 9 universities in the Netherlands. Repeated measures ANOVA and independent samples t-tests were used for data-analysis. The findings indicated that depressive symptoms significantly reduced after completing Moodpep, with these improvements maintained at the six-month follow-up. Gender and concurrent treatments did not have a significant effect on the outcomes. Notably, participants with clinical levels of depression showed greater improvement compared to those with subclinical symptoms. Despite these promising results, the study faced limitations, including high dropout rates, uncertainty regarding the reasons for dropout, lack of a control group and regression toward the mean. Future research should focus on understanding dropout causes, conducting randomized controlled trials, evaluating long-term effects, and exploring the integration of eHealth interventions with traditional face-to-face treatments. Moodpep offers a promising early intervention for depressive symptoms by providing an anonymous, travel-free, flexible treatment option accessible to all students. The practical implication could be increased by raising awareness of Moodpep's availability.Show less
