Digital mental health interventions for anxiety and mood disorders patients: A 24-week follow-up

Background

Digital psychoeducational interventions have been used for self-monitoring symptoms and self-care for outpatients with affective and anxiety disorders associated with a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Outpatients with affective and anxiety disorders were recruited for digital mental health interventions (smartphone app and e-book) with treatment as usual.

Methods

Participants were evaluated at baseline and at 24-week follow-up with digital mental health interventions. Participants were assessed by questionnaire and scales (the 17-item Hamilton Depressive Rating Scale (HDRS₁₇), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Adverse Childhood Questionnaire, Sheehan Disability Scale, Quality of Life, Perceived Stress Scale, and by anthropometric measures.

Results

153 participants were classified into two groups: (n = 110) participants reported having experienced at least three ACEs (<4ACEs) and (n = 43) reported having experienced four or more (≥4ACEs). At baseline, the ≥ 4ACEs group presented significantly more unstable relationship, lower quality of life, more functional impairment, more perceived stress, higher HAM-A and HDRS₁₇ scores than < 4ACEs group. After 24 weeks, digital psychoeducational interventions improved the practice of physical activity in both groups. Digital technologies improved severity of depressive symptoms in the < 4ACEs group and decreased functional impairment in the ≥ 4ACEs group. Higher scores on HAM-A were associated with more ACEs, HDRS₁₇ > 7 and lack of physical activities.

Conclusion

These findings highlight the importance of screening for ACEs to use digital psychoeducational interventions for reducing depressive symptoms and improving physical activities in outpatients with mood and anxiety disorders.