A cluster randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a simple marketing intervention in changing student attitudes to depression
Jill Mollison with Rowena Merritt and John Geddes (Oxford)
Unipolar depressive disorders are one of the most common causes of worldwide disability. Up to 28% of young people are predicted to experience a clinically significant depressive episode by the age of 19 and one third of people who have met criteria for major depression in their lifetime’s report that the first attack occurred before the age of 21. The impact of depressive disorder on a young person’s life is severe. Despite the high rates of depression it is very treatable and effective treatments exist. However, effective treatments are of no use unless the sufferer can be persuaded to accept first their condition and then the treatment. Simple marketing techniques were applied to develop an intervention that aimed to educate students about depression and its treatment.
A cluster randomised trial was conducted on students at the University of Oxford to assess the effectiveness of a simple marketing intervention at increasing awareness of depression and available treatments. Twenty eight colleges participated in the trial and were randomly allocated to receive the intervention (4 postcards containing brief information on depression reinforced with posters displayed in Colleges) or not. A questionnaire was distributed to 10,259 students before and after the intervention. The primary outcome is the proportion of students who responded positively to the question “Can depression be effectively treated?” Secondary outcomes included identification of symptoms of depression and effectiveness of certain treatments.
