Online Peer Support Platform: CommonGround v0.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Online peer support in long-term conditions: A feasibility randomised controlled trial
IRAS ID
328175
Contact name
Matthew Hotopf
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Kings College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 6 days
Research summary
Over 15 million people in England live with a long-term physical health condition. Low mood, loneliness and worry related to chronic illness are very common. About 1 in 5 people with a long-term physical health condition experience mild symptoms of depression. This may lead to an increased risk of developing a clinical diagnosis of depression over time. However, there is currently no support offered to people with mild low mood, to help support their mental health. We think that better access to online peer support may offer a solution to this and help people with multiple long-term conditions live happier, healthier lives.
In partnership with people with long-term conditions we have co-designed an online peer support platform to help people with health problems connect, support others, share experiences, and receive evidence-based information and advice on self-management. This study explores if the platform is feasible to implement and acceptable for people with long-term conditions experiencing mild depressive symptoms. We will use a randomised controlled trial (RCT) design which means that participants will either be randomly selected to use the platform (CommonGround group) or alternatively use existing NHS Mental Health webpages (control group). All participants will be recruited in the United Kingdom by King’s College London (KCL). Both treatment arms will be delivered online. We plan to gather the experiences of people using the platform over a 3-month period and compare our results to those in our control group.
This work has been funded by King’s Health Partners and Impact on Urban Health, through their Multiple Long-Term Conditions Challenge Fund. We believe that early preventative, peer support interventions could improve the lives of people with long-term conditions and reduce progression to more significant depression.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SC/0409
Date of REC Opinion
12 Jan 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion