A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Digital Stepped-Care Program to Reduce Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Among Long-Term Care Workers With Psychological Distress: The REPICAL Study.
Leticia González-Spinoglio, Mireia Esplugues-Tormo, Iago Giné-Vázquez et al.
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In 30 seconds
The REPICAL study evaluated a digital stepped-care program aimed at reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms among long-term care workers (LTCWs) in Catalonia, Spain. This parallel-group randomized controlled trial involved 165 participants, revealing that the intervention group experienced a significant reduction in symptoms at week 21, with a mean difference of 4.2 in self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms.
Key findings
- At week 21, the intervention group had a mean difference of 4.2 in depressive and anxiety symptoms compared to the control group.
- The intervention demonstrated moderate to large effect sizes with a standardized effect size of 0.8.
- Secondary outcomes showed significant improvement in depressive and anxiety symptoms, except for health-related quality of life.
Why it matters
This study highlights the potential of digital mental health interventions in addressing psychological distress among LTCWs, a vulnerable population. Effective strategies can enhance mental well-being and potentially improve care quality in long-term settings.