The Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the University of Lübeck has been awarded the contract for the project, following a public call and a review of the submitted applications by an external group of experts. The project - launched in April 2012 in collaboration with the Universities of Bern, Bielefeld, Hamburg, Tübingen and Trier - has been granted €450 000 by the Federal Ministry of Health for a three-year period.

Depressive disorders are among the most common mental diseases. According to the diagnostic statistics taken from health and pension insured people, depression disorders have now become a widespread disease. These diseases are of great importance in terms of healthcare economics due to their frequency and their direct and indirect healthcare costs.

In order to provide interested people with depression symptoms with a low threshold service for help, a web-based programme built on modern ICT will be developed to encourage self-management.

To achieve this aim, an online study will be conducted in order to help the development of this eMental health programme. Furthermore, in the framework of the project, insights will also be gained as to whether an early detection of a range of eMental-Health behavioural changes can be achieved in order to prevent the development of severe depression.

More information about the online study can be found at: www.online-studie-depression.de.

Further information:

• Original Press Release- The Federal Ministry of Health (in German)
• Study on an Internet-based self-help system for people with mild to moderate depression (in German)