Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Nov 8, 2022
Date Accepted: Dec 22, 2022
Outcomes of a Live Messaging Blended Care Coaching Program among Adults with Symptoms of Anxiety: Pragmatic Retrospective Cohort Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Coaching grounded in evidence-based interventions that is delivered via synchronous (i.e., live) text-based messaging could potentially increase the reach of mental health services among populations who select this modality over other services (e.g., face-to-face coaching, psychotherapy). This study evaluated anxiety outcomes of live messaging coaching blended with digital modules (i.e., digital exercises and activities).
Objective:
This study evaluated anxiety outcomes of live messaging coaching blended with digital modules (i.e., digital exercises and activities).
Methods:
This was a retrospective cohort of 121 adults with moderate levels of anxiety symptoms who received an employer-offered, blended messaging coaching (BMC) program. Participants who opted to receive all live coaching sessions via text-based messaging were included. Anxiety symptom severity was regularly measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale. Using growth curve models, change in GAD-7 scores over the course of BMC was evaluated. The proportion of participants that had a reliable improvement in anxiety symptom severity, or subclinical symptom severity (i.e., recovered), at the end of care was also estimated.
Results:
At baseline, the average GAD-7 score was 9.88 (SD=1.80). Anxiety symptom severity significantly decreased with each week in the BMC program (b=-1.04, P<.001), and the rate of decline in anxiety symptom severity decreased over time (b=0.06, P<.001). Each live messaging coaching session was associated with significantly lower anxiety symptom severity during the week of the coaching session (b=-1.56, P<.001) as well as the week immediately following the session (b=-1.03, P<.001). Overall, 104 (85.95%) participants had recovered or a reliable reduction in anxiety symptom severity by the end of care.
Conclusions:
BMC that provides coaching sessions via live messaging can be beneficial for adults with moderate symptoms of anxiety who qualify for coaching. Large-scale studies with longer follow-up are needed.
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