Introduction: The WORC Project is a prospective Australia wide study evaluating both the cost and clinical effectiveness of facilitating help seeking behaviour among employed people reporting depressive symptoms who are not currently receiving treatment. This is a preliminary analysis of the clinical effectiveness of the facilitating help seeking intervention.
Method: Employees who screen positive for depressive symptoms on the Kessler 6 (K6) and the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (QIDS) were phoned by a psychologist (N = 842). This contact included feedback, discussion of assessment results, barriers to appropriate help seeking and encouragement to contact a health professional. Following this, individuals were randomised into either a single contact (SC[N = 269]) or multiple contact (MC[N = 295]) group. To date the QIDS has been readministered at 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12-month time points. Further follow-up will be conducted.
Results: Both SC and MC groups demonstrated equivalent levels of depressive symptoms on entry. The MC group shows a greater decrease in severity of depressive symptoms than the SC group. Differences in treatment seeking behavior between SC and MC groups to date are not statistically different.
Conclusion: Help seeking behaviour can be facilitated by addressing both lack of knowledge and obstructive beliefs about depression and its treatment even with a brief intervention (SC group). However, MC produced significant and substantial reductions depressive symptoms than a SC.
