Randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of Big White Wall compared to other online support
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN12673428 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN12673428 |
| ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT) | NCT02902159 |
| Protocol serial number | 32184 |
| Sponsor | University of Nottingham |
| Funder | National Institute for Health Research |
- Submission date
- 03/10/2016
- Registration date
- 01/11/2016
- Last edited
- 26/04/2021
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Depression and anxiety are common mental health problems and are the second and seventh leading causes of years lived with disability in the world among all health problems respectively. These mental health problems are so common that it is necessary to find a broader means of supporting sufferers, as many do not receive adequate treatment. The internet has proved to be an effective way of helping people to access treatment that may not have been able to do so previously. Big White Wall (BWW) is a digitial service which helps support people suffering from common mental health problems, using peer support. It is an anomymous service which allows users to interact with and support one another, without needing to reveal who they are. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of BWW in helping to improve mental wellbeing in people with symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Who can participate?
People aged 16 years and over who have symptoms of depression and anxiety.
What does the study involve?
Participants are randomly allocated to one of two groups. Those in the first group receive six months free access to the Big White Wall (BWW) website. Participants are able to access any part of the BWW site (apart from the option of personalised therapy or counselling sessions that are currently available on BWW for certain users with NHS prescriptions) and interact with other users within the boundaries of the site’s House Rules. Those in the second group are directed to the Moodzone area of the NHS Choices website where they are able to access information about depression and anxiety. The website contains reading material and suggestions about maintaining mental health as well as providing ways to test themselves for depression and anxiety. At the start of the study and then after 3, 6, 12 and 26 weeks, participants in both groups complete a range of questionnaires to measure their mental wellbeing.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants may benefit from receiving information and support from the web-based services. There are no notable risks involved with participating.
Where is the study run from?
The study is run from the Institute of Mental Health and takes place online (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2016 to December 2018
Who is funding the study?
National Institute for Health Research (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Catherine Kaylor-Hughes
catherine.kaylor-hughes@nottingham.ac.uk
Contact information
Scientific
Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care-East Midlands (CLAHRC-EM)
Institute of Mental Health
University of Nottingham Innovation Park
Triumph Road
Nottingham
NG7 2TU
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0003-3353-4108 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)115 8232478 |
| catherine.kaylor-hughes@nottingham.ac.uk |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Randomised; Interventional; Design type: Treatment, Education or Self-Management, Psychological & Behavioural, Complex Intervention |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Randomised controlled trial of an established direct to public peer support and e-therapy programme (Big White Wall) versus information to aid self-management of depression and anxiety |
| Study acronym | REBOOT Notts |
| Study objectives | The aim of this study is to: 1. Investigate the impact on wellbeing of an online peer support site (Big White Wall) that provides 24 hour supported self-management compared to online information alone (NHS Moodzone), for people with symptoms of depression and anxiety 2. Explore who and how many people might wish to utilise such a service and include those that are socially isolated and hard to reach |
| Ethics approval(s) | East Midlands - Nottingham 1 Research Ethics Committee, 07/06/2016, ref: 16/EM/0204 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Specialty: Mental Health, Primary sub-specialty: Depression; UKCRC code/ Disease: Mental Health/ Mood [affective] disorders |
| Intervention | Participants will be randomised to one of two groups. Randomisation will be made via a computer generated pseudo-random code using random permuted blocks of varying size by a system embedded within the website. No stratification or minimisation is required. The outcome will be single-blind with the research team responsible for the collection, cleaning and analysis of the data remaining blind to arm allocation until data collection has been completed. Arm 1: Big White Wall Participants will receive six months free access to the Big White Wall website. They will create a user profile using a pseudonym which will be linked to the trial ID that they are assigned within the study website. Participants will be able to access any part of the BWW site (apart from the option of personalised therapy or counselling sessions that are currently available on BWW for certain users with NHS prescriptions) and interact with other users within the boundaries of the site’s House Rules. A record of their logins, time on site, interactions and page categories will be recorded by BWW on behalf of the study team. Arm 2: Moodzone Participants will be directed to the Moodzone area of the NHS Choices website where they will be able to access all of the available material on Mental Health including depression and anxiety for six months. The site contains reading material and suggestions about maintaining mental health and provides measures of depression and anxiety for visitors to use. Participation in the study will be for six months, receiving electronic follow up invitations at 3, 6, 12 and 26 weeks after randomization which are to be completed on the website through their user login. Participants may also be asked to take part in a short interview by phone or face to face to talk about their experiences of services and/or the study within three months of the end their participation |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
Change in self-rated well-being at 6 weeks after baseline using the 14-item Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) at baseline, 3, 6, 12 and 26 weeks. |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
1. Maintenance of well-being is measured using the WEMWBS at baseline, 3, 6, 12 and 26 weeks |
| Completion date | 31/12/2018 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 2200 |
| Total final enrolment | 397 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Aged 16 years and over 2. Live in the County of Nottinghamshire, including Nottingham City 3. Scores between 10-20 on the Personal Health Questionnaire (PHQ9); added 24/04/2018: and/or 10+ on GAD7 4. Access to internet through a PC or smartphone (Windows, iOS, Android) 5. Able and willing to give informed consent |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Scores 20 or more on the PHQ-9 (severe depression) 2. Scores 2 or 3 on PHQ-9 item "thoughts that you would be better off dead or of hurting yourself in some way" 3. Participant does not feel that they are sufficiently proficient in the use of the English language |
| Date of first enrolment | 19/09/2016 |
| Date of final enrolment | 31/05/2018 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Kingdom
- England
Study participating centre
Nottingham
NG7 2TU
United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Data sharing statement to be made available at a later date |
| IPD sharing plan | The current data sharing plans for the current study are unknown and will be made available at a later date. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | 23/04/2021 | 26/04/2021 | Yes | No | |
| Protocol article | protocol | 18/12/2017 | Yes | No | |
| HRA research summary | 28/06/2023 | No | No | ||
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
| Preprint results | results | 19/02/2021 | No | No |
Editorial Notes
26/04/2021: The following changes have been made:
1. Publication reference added.
2. The final enrolment number has been added from the reference.
19/02/2021: Preprint reference added.
22/05/2019: The trial website (www.rebootnotts.com) has been removed as the site is no longer available.
21/05/2019: No publications found, verifying study status with principal investigator.
24/04/2018: The recruitment end date was changed from 30/09/2017 to 31/05/2018 and the inclusion criteria were updated.
15/02/2018: Publication reference added.
16/11/2016: The study website and ClinicalTrials.gov identifier has been added.
