Self-help mobile messaging intervention for depression among older adults in resource-limited settings: a randomized controlled trial

Professor Ricardo Araya and colleagues have published groundbreaking findings from the PRODIGITAL-D trial, which evaluated the effectiveness of a mobile messaging psychosocial intervention for treating depression in older adults in socioeconomically deprived areas of Guarulhos, Brazil. 
The randomized controlled trial assessed the effectiveness of a mobile messaging psychosocial intervention in improving depressive symptomatology among participants aged 60 and above with depressive symptoms. The participants received either a 6-week intervention or a single message. 
Results showed a significant improvement in depressive symptoms among those who received the intervention compared to the control group, indicating the potential of digital messaging interventions for treating depression in older adults in low-resourced settings.

Read the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02864-4

Scazufca, M., Nakamura, C.A., Seward, N. et al. Self-help mobile messaging intervention for depression among older adults in resource-limited settings: a randomized controlled trial. Nat Med (2024).