Moodpep: Description and Evaluation of an Online Self-Help Program for Young Adults with Feelings of Depression

Abstract

There is a high prevalence of mental health problems in young adulthood. At the same time, these problems seem to be undertreated. Barriers to seeking help include: stigma, costs and time issues. eHealth interventions could be a promising solution. Moodpep was developed in 2019 as a guided online self-help program for young adults (18+) with depressive symptoms. It is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and includes 8 lessons and 4 themes: activation, relaxation, changing negative cognitions, and goal attainment. The aims of the present article were: giving a detailed description of Moodpep and evaluating the program. The latter was done by analyzing pre-post data and studying participant satisfaction. In total, 31 participants started with the intervention of whom 23 completed it. The results showed that depressive symptoms significantly reduced after following the program, with large effect sizes. At post-test almost all participants scored in the categories of minimal or mild depression. In addition, program and coaching were valued by the participants. In conclusion, Moodpep could provide effective low-threshold help to young people; they could work on mental health at their own time and place, in relative anonymity, and against no or low costs.