Digital Staff Support Interventions for the Psychological Wellbeing of Healthcare Professionals: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Healthcare professionals experience stressful events which impact on overall wellbeing. The rise of digital interventions marks an opportunity to support healthcare professionals in their psychological wellbeing. This systematic review aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of digital interventions for healthcare professionals in mental and physical healthcare to improve psychological wellbeing (PROSPERO CRD42023394966). Four electronic databases (Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science) were searched, from inception, until 10 June 2024. The review was carried out according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) tool was used to assess the methodological quality of studies. Thirty-five studies were included (N = 5364, published 2004–2024), including 13 randomised controlled trials. The majority of the studies were carried out in Europe and North America (mostly UK and USA). Digital interventions varied across format (e.g. web based, virtual reality based) and content type (e.g. biofeedback training). The most frequently used format for digital interventions were smartphone apps with the most common digital intervention type being general stress management programmes. Thirty-three studies indicated significant changes in at least one wellbeing measure, such as depression, anxiety, stress, resilience or compassion. On the EPHPP, 4 studies were rated strong, 14 were rated as moderate and 17 were rated as weak. Evidence suggests that digital interventions are a feasible, acceptable and effective approach to support wellbeing in healthcare professionals, although there are significant methodological limitations. Further research would benefit from stronger methodological designs, maximising participant engagement, and greater, more diverse sample sizes.