Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39257871›Full record

ReviewDigital health

Self-help digital mental health intervention in improving burnout and mental health outcomes among healthcare workers: A narrative review.

Lwin M Aye, Min M Tan, Alexandre Schaefer, Sivakumar Thurairajasingam, Pascal Geldsetzer, Lay K Soon, Ulrich Reininghaus, Till Bärnighausen, Tin T Su

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Lwin M AyeSouth East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) and Global Public Health, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Science, Monash University, Selangor, Malaysia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4400-1593
Min M TanSouth East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) and Global Public Health, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Science, Monash University, Selangor, Malaysia.
Alexandre SchaeferDepartment of Psychology, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia.
Sivakumar ThurairajasingamSouth East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) and Global Public Health, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Science, Monash University, Selangor, Malaysia.
Pascal GeldsetzerDivision of Primary Care and Population Health, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Lay K SoonSchool of Information Technology, Monash University, Selangor, Malaysia.
Ulrich ReininghausDepartment of Public Mental Health, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
Till BärnighausenHeidelberg Institute of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Tin T SuSouth East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) and Global Public Health, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Science, Monash University, Selangor, Malaysia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Healthcare workers face burnout from high job demands and prolonged working conditions. While mental health services are available, barriers to access persist. Evidence suggests digital platforms can enhance accessibility. However, there is a lack of systematic reviews on the effectiveness of digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) for healthcare professionals. This review aims to synthesize evidence on DMHIs' effectiveness in reducing burnout, their acceptability by users, and implementation lessons learned. Method: This Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-guided review included 12 RCTs on DMHIs for healthcare professionals, published before 31 May 2024. The primary focus was on burnout, with secondary outcomes related to mental health and occupation. Quality appraisal used Cochrane risk of bias tools. A narrative synthesis explored DMHIs' effectiveness, acceptability, utilization, and implementation lessons. Results: Significant improvements in mental health outcomes were observed in 10 out of 16 RCTs. Burnout and its constructs showed significant improvement in five RCTs. Studies that measured the acceptability of the interventions reported good acceptability. Factors such as attrition, intervention design and duration, cultural sensitivities, flexibility and ease of use, and support availability were identified as key implementation considerations. Conclusions: Web-based DMHIs positively impact burnout, mental health, and occupational outcomes among healthcare professionals, as shown in most RCTs. Future research should enhance DMHIs' effectiveness and acceptability by addressing identified factors. Increasing awareness of DMHIs' benefits will foster acceptance and positive attitudes. Lessons indicate that improving user engagement and effectiveness requires a multifaceted approach.

Indexed as

burnouthealthcare workersmental health outcomesSelf-help digital mental health interventionsystematic review

Identifiers

PMID39257871
PMCPMC11384540

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.