Selective Prevention of Depression in Workers Using a Smartphone App: Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Digital Health
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Depression is preventable, but universal interventions have limited success.
• Workplace stress is a significant risk factor for depression.
• Targeting interventions to at-risk individuals is crucial but challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a smartphone-based intervention (Anchored) for preventing depression in stressed workers.
• To assess the intervention's impact on depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, and work performance.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 2084 employed adults with moderate stress.
• Intervention group received a 30-day app-based cognitive behavioral and mindfulness intervention (Anchored).
• Control group received a psychoeducation website; outcomes assessed at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in overall depression onset between groups (intention-to-treat).
• Anchored users showed greater reduction in depressive symptoms and anxiety, and improved work performance.
• Highly engaged users (≥2/3 completion) had significantly lower depression onset (1.1% vs. 9.0%) and improved secondary outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The smartphone intervention (Anchored) showed potential for symptom reduction and functional improvement, particularly with high user engagement.
• Selective prevention of case-level depression was not achieved in the overall intention-to-treat analysis.
• Future research should focus on enhancing user engagement with digital mental health interventions.