29/05/2026
Warm congratulations to Tanya Tandon and Chantal Martin-Soelch on the publication of their article in Trials, which presents a randomized controlled trial protocol exploring how online support for depression may work across different cultural contexts, with and without peer-to-peer support.
This article introduces a study designed to test whether an online self-help program for depression, Deprexis, can help reduce depressive symptoms in adults with mild to moderate depression.
The project compares three groups: Deprexis alone, Deprexis with a peer-to-peer support forum, and a waiting-list control group.
A major strength of the study is its cross-cultural dimension, as it compares participants in Switzerland and India.
This allows the team to examine whether online mental health interventions may need cultural adaptation to be effective in different settings.
The protocol is also particularly important because it extends Deprexis to French-speaking Switzerland, where it had not yet been tested in this way.
In addition, the study explores how people respond to social and monetary rewards using the Fribourg Reward Task.
This may help researchers better understand how depression affects motivation, pleasure, and social functioning.
Overall, the project aims to improve access to scalable, evidence-based mental health care and to better understand how digital interventions can help reduce treatment gaps worldwide.
Many thanks to all the authors and collaborators for their commitment to this important study.
Article link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-025-09377-6
📣 If you’re interested in taking part in the project (in french), or if you know anyone in your circle of friends and family or professional network who might be interested in this project, the recruitment phase is still ongoing and you can find all the details and registration here: https://www.unifr.ch/psycho/fr/recherche/clisan/projets-de-recherche/ibat-d.html
