Recruiting participants is a challenge for many health, medical and psychosocial research projects. One tool more frequently being used to improve recruitment is the social networking website Facebook. A systematic review was conducted to identify studies that have used Facebook to recruit participants of all ages, to any psychosocial, health or medical research. 110 unique studies that used Facebook as a recruitment source were included in the review. The majority of studies used a cross-sectional design (80%) and addressed a physical health or disease issue (57%). Half (49%) of the included studies reported specific details of the Facebook recruitment process. Researchers paid between $1.36 and $110 per completing participants (Mean = $17.48, SD = $23.06). Among studies that examined the representativeness of their sample, the majority concluded (86%) their Facebook-recruited samples were similarly representative of samples recruited via traditional methods. These results indicate that Facebook is an effective and cost-efficient recruitment method. Researchers should consider their target group, advertisement wording, offering incentives and no-cost methods of recruitment when considering Facebook as a recruitment source. It is hoped this review will assist researchers to make decisions regarding the use of Facebook as a recruitment tool in future research.

Few studies have examined modifiable psychosocial risk factors for mental disorders among university students, and of these, none have employed measures that correspond to clinical diagnostic criteria. The aim of this study was to examine psychosocial and demographic risk factors for major depression and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) in a sample of Australian university students. An anonymous web-based survey was distributed to undergraduate and postgraduate students at a mid-sized Australian university. A range of psychosocial and demographic risk factors were measured, and logistic regression models were used to examine significant predictors of major depression and GAD. A total of 611 students completed the survey. The prevalence of major depression and GAD in the sample was 7.9 and 17.5 %, respectively. In terms of demographic factors, the risk of depression was higher for students in their first year of undergraduate study, and the risk of GAD was higher for female students, those who moved to attend university, and students experiencing financial stress. In terms of psychosocial factors, students with experience of body image issues and lack of confidence were at significantly greater risk of major depression, and feeling too much pressure to succeed, lack of confidence, and difficulty coping with study was significantly associated with risk of GAD. University students experience a range of unique psychosocial stressors that increase their risk of major depression and GAD, in addition to sociodemographic risk factors. It is important to examine psychosocial factors, as these are potentially modifiable and could be the focus of university-specific mental health interventions.

Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet

Response to psychological treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) varies, and dropout and relapse rates remain troubling. However, while studies examining symptom reductions are favourable, outcomes are less encouraging when outcome is defined in terms of clinically significant change. Moreover, there is little understanding of what predicts treatment outcome. This study examined demographic, symptomatic and cognitive predictors of outcome in 79 participants undertaking individualised cognitive-behavioural therapy for OCD. After investigating differences between treatment completers and non-completers, we examined treatment response as defined by post-treatment symptom severity and clinically reliable change, as well as predictors of treatment response. Completers were less likely to present with co-morbidity. The treatment was highly efficacious irrespective of whether completer or intention-to-treat analysis was undertaken, with 58% of treatment completers considered "recovered" at post-treatment. Lower pre-treatment levels of OCD symptoms and greater perfectionism/intolerance of uncertainty were the best unique predictors of OCD severity outcomes at post-treatment. Changes in obsessional beliefs were associated with symptomatic change, although only perfectionism/intolerance of uncertainty was a significant unique predictor of post-treatment change. Recovery status was predicted only by pre-treatment OCD severity. In helping to identify those at risk for poorer outcomes, such research can lead to the development of more effective interventions.