European COMPARative Effectiveness research on blended Depression treatment versus treatment-as-usual (E-COMPARED): study protocol for a randomized controlled, non-inferiority trial in eight European countries

Annet Kleiboer , Jan Smit , Judith Bosmans , Jeroen Ruwaard , Gerhard Andersson , Naira Topooco , Thomas Berger , Tobias Krieger , Cristina Botella , Rosa Baños , Karine Chevreul , Ricardo Araya , Arlinda Cerga-Pashoja , Roman Cieślak , Anna Rogala , Christiaan Vis , Stasja Draisma , Anneke Schaik , Lise Kemmeren , David Ebert , Matthias Berking , Burkhardt Funk , Pim Cuijpers , Heleen Riper

Abstract

Effective, accessible, and affordable depression treatment is of high importance considering the large personal and economic burden of depression. Internet-based treatment is considered a promising clinical and cost-effective alternative to current routine depression treatment strategies such as face-to-face psychotherapy. However, it is not clear whether research findings translate to routine clinical practice such as primary or specialized mental health care. The E-COMPARED project aims to gain knowledge on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of blended depression treatment compared to treatment-as-usual in routine care.