Table 1.
Baseline characteristics in the texting and control conditions. Statistics reflect intent-to-treat analyses.
| Characteristics | Texting condition (n=45) |
Control condition (n=40) |
P value | |
| Age (years), mean (SDa) | 51.71 (11.55) | 51.83 (11.73) | .96b | |
| Gender: female, n (%) | 38 (84.44) | 29 (72.50) | .18c | |
| Highest education, n (%) | .11c | |||
| No formal education | 3 (6.67) | 4 (10.26) | ||
| 1st to 5th grade | 12 (26.67) | 7 (17.95) | ||
| 6th to 8th grade | 12 (26.67) | 12 (30.77) | ||
| Some high school | 14 (31.11) | 4 (10.26) | ||
| High school grad or GEDd | 2 (4.44) | 3 (7.69) | ||
| Some college | 1 (2.22) | 6 (15.38) | ||
| College graduate | 1 (2.22) | 2 (5.13) | ||
| Graduate or professional school | 0 (0.00) | 1 (2.56) | ||
| Employment status, n (%) | .73c | |||
| Full-time | 7 (15.56) | 4 (10.00) | ||
| Part-time | 7 (15.56) | 4 (10.00) | ||
| Homemaker | 3 (6.67) | 3 (7.50) | ||
| Unemployed | 12 (26.67) | 13 (32.50) | ||
| On disability | 10 (22.22) | 12 (30.00) | ||
| Retired | 4 (8.89) | 4 (10.00) | ||
| Other | 2 (4.44) | 0 (0.00) | ||
| Marital status, n (%) | .76c | |||
| Single | 17 (38.64) | 14 (35.00) | ||
| Married or partnered | 13 (29.55) | 13 (32.50) | ||
| Divorced or separated | 7 (15.91) | 9 (22.50) | ||
| Widowed | 7 (15.91) | 4 (10.00) | ||
| Depression measures | ||||
| PHQ-9e, mean (SD) | 13.36 (5.96) | 13.13 (4.99) | .85b | |
| Prior therapy for depression, n yes (%) | 21 (46.67) | 16 (40.00) | .54c | |
| Medication for depression, n yes (%) | 22 (48.89) | 16 (40.00) | .41c | |
| Prior hospitalization for depression, n yes (%) | 5 (11.36) | 7 (17.50) | .42c | |
| Mobile phone ownership, n yes (%) | 43 (95.56) | 37 (92.50) | .55c | |
| Use of text-messaging in prior month, n yes (%)g | 34 (79.07) | 23 (65.71) | .19c | |
| Preferred method of contactf, n (%) | .74c | |||
| Call | 27 (61.36) | 26 (66.67) | ||
| Text | 6 (13.64) | 6 (15.38) | ||
| Depends | 11 (25.00) | 7 (17.95) | ||
aSD: standard deviation.
bIndicates that a t test was used to test for condition differences.
cIndicates that a chi-square test was used to test for condition differences.
dGED: general educational development.
ePHQ-9: Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item.
fPreferred method of contact refers to the question “In general, if someone needs to reach you, do you prefer that they call or that they text you?”
gQuestion asked only to the patients who reported owning a mobile phone.