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Table 1 Intervention summary and results

From: Efficacy of depression treatments for immigrant patients: results from a systematic review

Study

Intervention

Language

Control

Design

N

Data collection

Primary outcome measure*

Effect on depressive symptoms

Sig.

Yeung et al. (2010) [64]

Culturally-sensitive, collaborative treatment (8 sessions/24 weeks)

English/Chinese

UCa

Descriptive uncontrolled design

100

6 months, follow up: 1.5, 3.5 and 6 months

HAM-D CGI-S CGI-I

Decrease in depressive symptoms in Control and Intervention. No significant difference between groups

No

Choi et al. (2012) [53]

Culturally-adapted, internet CBT (8 weeks)

English/Chinese

WLb

RCT

63

Pre, post and 3 month (intervention only)

CBDI CB-PHQ9

Large effect size on BDI (d =1.41; d = .93 within and between groups) and medium to large effect size on CB-PHQ-9 (d = .90; d = .50 within and between groups)

Yes

Cho et al. (2012) [52]

Logo-autobiography (6 sessions/6 weeks)

Korean

UC with and without medicine

Non-randomised experimental research study

40

Pre, post and 4 week follow up (intervention only)

CES-D (Korean)

Depression scores significantly decreased in I relative to C at post-test (p = .013) and 4 weeks (p = .001). Effect size .50. No significant difference between Imed and Cmed

Partly

Tang et al. (2005) [61]

CBT (16 sessions/5 months)

Cantonese

None

Case study

1

Not described

GDS

Depression scores on GDS decreased by 8 points by conclusion of study

NA

Yeung et al. (2012) [63]

Tai Chi (2×1 hr/12 weeks)

Chinese

WL

Pilot RCT

39

Baseline, 6 12 weeks

HAM-D CGI-S CGI-I

Non-significant positive trend towards remission of depression

No

Dwight-Johnson et al. (2011) [54]

Culturally-tailored, telephone based CBT intervention (8 sessions)

Spanish

Enhanced UC

Randomised pilot study

101

Baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months

SCL PHQ-9

Non-significant positive trend towards remission of depression in intervention group

No

Piedra et al. (2012) [58]

Group CBT “Vida alegra” (10 sessions/10 weeks)

Spanish

None

Pre/post/follow-up study

19

Baseline, Post test, 3 months

CES-D

Significant reduction in CES-D, effect size = .67

Yes

Interian et al. (2008) [56]

Culturally-adapted, CBT (12 sessions)

Spanish

None

Pre/post/follow-up study

15

Baseline, Post test, 6 months

BDI-S PHQ-15

Significant reduction in BDI-S scores at post (p = .0005) and 6 months (p = .0005). PHQ-15 significant at post assessment (p = .004), and at 6 months (p = .01)

Yes

Kanter et al. (2010) [57]

Culturally-adapted, Behavioral Activation (12 sessions)

Spanish/English

UC

Pre/post study design

10

Pre and post (following 12 sessions or 20 weeks which ever came first)

BDI-II HRSD

Significant improvements observed on BDI-II, large effect size d = 1.67, HRSD, effect size d = 1.57

Yes

Schmaling et al. (2008) [60]

Problem Solving Therapy for Primary Care (8 sessions)

Spanish/English

Participants refusing treatment, Non-completers

Pre/post repeated measures study

117

baseline and ~ 4 months

HSCL-20

Significant improvement following 4+ sessions compared to 3 or less sessions, p < .05. ≥4 sessions decrease of m = .86 point. ≤ 3 sessions decrease of m = .4 points

Yes

Chu et al. (2012) [50]

Culturally-adapted, Problem Solving Therapy (12 sessions)

English

None

Pilot case study

1

Pre and post intervention

PHQ-9 Mood

PHQ-9 score decreased from 12 to 3 Mood improved

NA

Beeber et al. (2012) [51]

Culturally-sensitive, home-based IPT (11 in-home sessions with nurse/interpreter, 5 short sessions with interpreter only)

Spanish

Enhanced UC

RCT

80

Baseline (T1), 14 (T2), 22 (T3) (termination) weeks and 4 weeks post termination (T4)

CES-D

Significant improvement in CES-D scores : CES-D within group changes: T1 vs T2, p = .021 T1 vs T3, p = .005 T1vs T4, p = .021

Yes

Gelman et al. (2005) [55]

Culturally-adapted, group CBT (12× weekly sessions)

Spanish

None

Pilot pre-post repeated measures study

5

pre and post intervention

BDI-S

BDI scores significantly reduced (p = .01)

Yes

Uebelacker et al. (2011) [62]

Telephone depression care management (D-HELP) (8 calls/12 weeks)

Spanish

UC

Pilot RCT

38

pre, 6 and 12 weeks post intervention

QUIDS CES-D

Non-significant positive trend towards remission of depression

No

Renner et al. (2011) [59]

CBT and Self Help group (SH) intervention (15 session/4 months)

CBT: German with interpreter support SH: Turkish

WL

RCT

38

Pre, termination, 4 weeks, 6 month follow-up

CES-D, BSI PHQ-Turkish

SHG ineffective, CBT decreased depressive symptoms on BSI only and results deteriorated over time

No

  1. *Abbreviations: Ham-D/HRSD Hamilton Rating Scale for depression; CGI-S Clinical Global Impression Severity Scale; CGI-I Clinical Global Impression Improvement Scale; CBDI Beck Depression Inventory-I Chinese; BDI-S Beck Depression Inventory-Spanish; BDI-II Beck Depression Inventory-II; CB-PHQ9 Chinese Bilingual version of the Patient Health Questionnaire; PHQ Patient Health Questionnaire; CES-D Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; GDS Geriatric Depression Scale; SCL/HSCL-20 Hopkins Symptom Checklist; QUIDS Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms; BSI Brief Symptom Inventory.
  2. aUC: Usual Care.
  3. bWL: Waitlist.