Mental Health in HCPs
Trial question
What is the effect of proactive digital engagement strategy for mental health in healthcare workers?
Study design
Multi-center
Open label
RCT
Population
Characteristics of study participants
83.0% female
17.0% male
N = 1275
1275 patients (1063 female, 212 male).
Inclusion criteria: healthcare workers with self-reported daily access to a smartphone and at least 4 clinical hours per week.
Key exclusion criteria: no informed consent; no daily access to smartphone; < 4 hours/week of patient care.
Interventions
N=642 digital push (monthly automated text message reminders and messages about mental health, assessments, and linkages to care).
N=633 usual care (open access to a mental health platform).
Primary outcome
Mean reduction in Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 score at 6 months
0.99 points
0.28 points
1.0 points
0.7 points
0.5 points
0.2 points
0.0 points
Digital
push
Usual
care
Significant
increase ▲
Significantly greater reduction in mean GAD-7 score at 6 months (0.99 points vs. 0.28 points; MD 0.71, 95% CI 0.17 to 1.25).
Secondary outcomes
Significantly greater reduction in mean PHQ-9 score at 6 months (1.26 points vs. 0.3 points; MD 0.96, 96% CI 0.4 to 1.52).
Significantly greater reduction in mean Well Being Index score at 6 months (0.59 points vs. 0.46 points; MD 0.13, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.4).
No significant difference in mean decline in Lam Employment Absence and Productivity Scale at 6 months (0.51 vs. 0.81; MD -0.31, 95% CI -0.86 to 0.25).
Conclusion
In healthcare workers with self-reported daily access to a smartphone and at least 4 clinical hours per week, digital push was superior to usual care with respect to mean reduction in GAD-7 score at 6 months.
Reference
Anish K Agarwal, Lauren Southwick, Rachel E Gonzales et al. Digital Engagement Strategy and Health Care Worker Mental Health: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 May 1;7(5):e2410994.
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