Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Apr 5, 2019
Open Peer Review Period: Apr 5, 2019 - May 25, 2019
Date Accepted: Aug 1, 2019
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
New Mobile App Increases Well-Being and Reduces Stress in Working Women Compared to an Active Control App: a Randomized Controlled Trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
Background:
Although the availability and use of mobile mental-health apps has grown exponentially in recent years, little data are available regarding their efficacy.
Objective:
Objective:
To evaluate the effectiveness of an app developed to promote stress management and well-being among working women compared with a control app.
Methods:
Methods:
Female employees at a private hospital were invited to participate in the study via mailing lists and intranet ads. A total of 653 individuals self-enrolled through the website. Eligible participants were randomized between Control (n = 240) and Intervention (n = 250) groups. The well-being mobile app provides an 8-week program with 4 classes per week (including a brief theoretical portion and a 15-minute guided practice). The active-control app also provided 4 assessments per week that encouraged participants to observe their mental disposition. We also used the app to conduct online questionnaires (PSS-10 and WHO-5) and ask specific questions before, during and after the intervention to assess subjective levels of stress and well-being at those time-points. Both applications were fully automated without any human involvement. Outcomes from the control and intervention conditions at the three time-points were analysed using a Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA).
Results:
Results:
Among the randomized participants (n = 490), 185 participants were excluded at the 4-week follow-up and another 79 at the 8-week follow-up due to noncompliance with the experimental protocol. Participants who did not complete t4 and t8 assessments were equally distributed between groups [t4: CG = 34.6% and IG = 40.8%; P = .156; t8: CG = 29,9% and IG = 21,6%; P = .098]. Both groups showed a significant increase in general well-being as a function of time [F(2, 426) = 5.27, P = .006], but only the intervention group presented a significant increase in work-related well-being [F(2, 426) = 8.92, P < .001], as well as a significant reduction in work-related and overall stress [F(2, 426) = 5.50, P = .004 and F(2, 426) = 8.59, P < .001, respectively].
Conclusions:
Conclusion: The well-being mobile app was effective in reducing employee stress and improving well-being. Clinical Trial: Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02637414
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