JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The demand for mental healthcare services in South Korea is high, yet the availability of these services remains limited. Digital mental health interventions may provide a scalable solution to address this gap, particularly for maladaptive personality traits that significantly impact psychological well-being.

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a digital intervention program(“Mindling”) targeting maladaptive personality traits through four tailored modules: Riggy for perfectionism, Pleaser for low self-esteem, Shelly for social isolation, and Jumpy for anxiety.

Methods:

A total of 300 participants, aged 18 to 60, were recruited through a South Korean website based on specified stress levels and the presence of at least one maladaptive personality trait. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 201) or the waitlist control group (n = 99) across the four modules. The 10-week online intervention included self-report questionnaires assessing primary outcomes: stress, perfectionism, self-esteem, loneliness, and anxiety.

Results:

The treatment group showed a 70.05% completion rate. Significant improvements were observed in all primary outcomes, with reductions in stress, perfectionism, loneliness, and anxiety, and an increase in self-esteem compared to the control group (all p < 0.05). Follow-up assessments indicated that these improvements were sustained over time.

Conclusions:

The digital intervention("Mindling") effectively reduced maladaptive personality traits and associated symptoms among participants, demonstrating its potential as an accessible alternative to traditional mental health services. These findings support the viability of digital interventions in expanding mental healthcare access in South Korea. Clinical Trial: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06166693