Resumo Alguns tratamentos para a depressão baseados na Internet se mostraram efetivos e apresentaram vantagens em relação a tratamentos presenciais (potencialmente menos caros, com horários mais flexíveis e com disponibilidade em áreas remotas). Este artigo descreve as características de indivíduos que procuraram ajuda de uma intervenção autoguiada on-line e explora hipóteses sobre preditores de adesão ao programa. Baseado em uma amostra de 282 indivíduos que preencheram questionários de triagem, verificou-se que os participantes eram majoritariamente mulheres, tinham em média 34,36 anos, foram recrutados em sua maioria pelo Facebook, apresentaram diagnóstico psiquiátrico prévio feito por algum profissional de saúde mental, apresentaram percepção de autoeficácia moderada e sintomas depressivos moderadamente severos. Os respondentes que relataram condições comórbidas apresentaram mais chances de avançar para as entrevistas diagnósticas, e estar ou não em tratamento não influenciou a chegada às entrevistas. Estas descrições podem auxiliar na identificação de estratégias para se atingir mais indivíduos e para otimizar o desenho das intervenções on-line para brasileiros que as buscam.

Abstract Specific psychological treatments for depressive disorders delivered on the Internet have shown effectiveness and presented advantages over face-to-face treatments (potentially less expensive, flexible schedules, available in remote areas). This paper aims to describe the characteristics of those who sought help from an online self-guided intervention for depression and to explore hypotheses about predictors of enrollment to the program. Based on a sample of 282 of individuals who filled in screening questionnaires, we verified that the respondents were mainly female, were on average 34.36 years old, were primarily recruited through Facebook, had been previously diagnosed by mental health professionals, presented moderate self-efficacy perception, and had moderately severe symptoms of depression. Respondents who reported comorbid conditions were more likely to attend enrollment interviews, and being in treatment or not did not influence attendance. Such characterization may provide strategies to reach more people and to optimize the design of interventions targeting help-seeking depressed individuals in Brazil.

Although psychological treatments for depressive disorders are available, they are often expensive or inaccessible for many. Web-based interventions that require minimal or no contact with therapists have been shown effective. To the best of our knowledge, no study using this treatment format has been conducted in Brazil. The Deprexis program was designed using empirically established principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy to reduce depressive symptoms. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Deprexis in Brazil. This randomized controlled trial will include 128 Brazilians with clinically significant depression symptoms or who have been diagnosed with depressive disorder (major depressive disorder or dysthymia), recruited over the internet (Brazilian forums, social networks, or e-mail lists). Individuals with other psychiatric diagnoses that require significant attention (e.g., bipolar disorder, psychosis) will not be included in the trial. Participants will be randomly assigned to 1) treatment as usual plus immediate access to Deprexis or 2) treatment as usual plus delayed access to Deprexis (after 8 weeks). Participants will be able to obtain other treatment types in addition to the online intervention. If found effective, this web-based intervention would increase the evidence-based care options for depression treatment in Brazil. Clinical trial registration: RBR-6kk3bx, UTN U1111-1212-8998