Every year some 740,000 adults in the Netherlands battle with depression. Many more have depressive symptoms. Without help, this group runs a large risk of developing a full-blown depression. The scope of depression prevention is expected to increase significantly in the near future through the use of comprehensive internet resources.
Depression Prevention The Trimbos Institute is joining forces with a large number of partners in developing initiatives to prevent depression. One such venture is the large-scale
programme ‘Mental Vitality', consisting of 16 sub-projects which seek to improve depression prevention in various areas.
Online interventions
Two portals are being developed, one for youth and the other for adults. These contain an overview of all the online resources for mental problems. The web-based ‘Colour your Life’ and ‘Everything under Control’ are being modified and expanded, in order to reach a wider target group. We aim to incorporate these online interventions more effectively within primary health care, so that GP's and other practitioners will be more likely to refer patients to them.
New module for relapse prevention
In order to promote mental health – whether symptoms are present or not – a new e-selfhelp intervention is being developed: the Mental Vitality Module. For people who receive treatment for depression, there will be a new module for relapse prevention. This is important because preventing relapse reduces the risk that the depression will become chronic.
Standardised indication instrument
Within the Mental Vitality programme, a standardised indication instrument with clear protocols is being developed. Its purpose is to provide appropriate prevention interventions at the right time within the care chain of prevention, treatment and aftercare. A new quality mark is being developed, as well as a model that will enable funding of the new online interventions by means of the new diagnosis-treatment-combination structure.
