Select or adjust? How information from early treatment stages boosts the prediction of non-response in internet-based depression treatment.

Journal: Psychological medicine
PMID:

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Internet-based interventions produce comparable effectiveness rates as face-to-face therapy in treating depression. Still, more than half of patients do not respond to treatment. Machine learning (ML) methods could help to overcome these low response rates by predicting therapy outcomes on an individual level and tailoring treatment accordingly. Few studies implemented ML algorithms in internet-based depression treatment using baseline self-report data, but differing results hinder inferences on clinical practicability. This work compares algorithms using features gathered at baseline or early in treatment in their capability to predict non-response to a 6-week online program targeting depression.

Authors

  • Leona Hammelrath
    Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
  • Kevin Hilbert
  • Manuel Heinrich
    Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
  • Pavle Zagorscak
    Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
  • Christine Knaevelsrud
    Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.