Background: Based on the 2010 World Health Organization declaration, depression will be ranked second among the global disease burden by 2020, second only to cardiovascular disease. It has become a disease that incurs high personal and social costs, and thus warrants considerable concern regarding its mitigation and early prevention.~Purpose: The specific aims of the study were to explore the effects of the cognitive-oriented intervention program for promoting social support on perceived social supports, depression symptoms, and stress-coping strategies for patients with major depressive disorder in Taiwan.~Method: This study adopted a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Patients with major depressive disorder were recruited from acute psychiatric wards in a medical center in Northern Taiwan. The study was conducted from July 1, 2015, to December 31, 2016; 105 patients met the inclusion criteria, and 100 patients agreed to participate in the study and completed the evaluation. The participants were randomly assigned to intervention group or control group. The intervention group received a 40 mins social support intervention program once a week lasting for 6 weeks, and the control group received health education activities with the same frequency as the intervention group. All participants were assessed by questionnaires before and after the intervention. Statistical analyses were performed by using descriptive statistics, independent sample t tests, and linear multiple regression analysis.
The specific aims of the study were to explore the effects of the cognitive-oriented intervention program for promoting social support on perceived social supports, depression symptoms, and stress-coping strategies for patients with major depressive disorder in Taiwan.