Evaluating an Abbreviated Internet-Delivered Stress Recovery Intervention for Health Care Workers: Pre-Post Feasibility Study of Outcomes, Usability, and Acceptability

AI Summary

Four-week abbreviated internet-delivered CBT-based FOREST produced moderate improvements in stress recovery, reduced perceived stress and depression/anxiety, and increased psychological well-being.
High engagement and acceptability: 71.2% accessed all six modules and most participants reported satisfaction and usable design.
Preliminary findings limited by single-arm pre-post design; recommends randomised trials, longer follow-up, and implementation studies to compare abbreviated versus standard programmes.

AI Summary

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the initial outcomes, usability, and acceptability of a 4-week abbreviated internet-delivered stress recovery intervention for health care workers. Outcomes included stress recovery (the Recovery Experience Questionnaire), perceived stress (the Perceived Stress Scale-4), depression and anxiety symptoms (the Patient Health Questionnaire-4), psychological well-being (the World Health Organization Well-being Index), and usability and acceptability ratings. CONCLUSIONS: While preliminary and limited by the pre-post design, these findings indicate that abbreviated internet-based stress recovery programs are a promising and practical tool for supporting the mental health of health care workers.

Basic summary

JMIR Form Res. 2026 Jun 5;10:e89312. doi: 10.2196/89312.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Health care workers face numerous occupational stressors that place them at heightened risk for burnout and poor mental health. Internet-delivered interventions have shown promise in reducing stress and related symptoms, yet adherence is often low, and users do not complete programs. Abbreviated interventions may help address engagement barriers such as high workload, limited time, and varying user preferences. There is a need to evaluate brief, accessible formats of internet-delivered programs for this population.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the initial outcomes, usability, and acceptability of a 4-week abbreviated internet-delivered stress recovery intervention for health care workers. Specifically, it evaluated changes in stress recovery, perceived stress, depression and anxiety symptoms, and psychological well-being. The study also sought to understand participants’ experiences with the brief format to determine whether it meets their needs.

METHODS: This single-arm pre-post study examined a 4-week abbreviated version of the online guided cognitive behavioral therapy-based stress recovery program FOREST among self-enrolled health care workers recruited through professional networks (N=52; mean age 39.31, SD 11.31 years; 49/52, 94.2% women). Outcomes included stress recovery (the Recovery Experience Questionnaire), perceived stress (the Perceived Stress Scale-4), depression and anxiety symptoms (the Patient Health Questionnaire-4), psychological well-being (the World Health Organization Well-being Index), and usability and acceptability ratings.

RESULTS: We found that after the abbreviated version of the FOREST intervention participants showed moderate improvements in stress recovery (d=0.54, 95% CI 0.25-0.83); reductions in stress (d=-0.43, 95% CI -0.72 to -0.14), anxiety and depression symptoms (d=-0.51, 95% CI -0.80 to -0.22); and increase in psychological well-being (d=0.39, 95% CI 0.08-0.70). The majority (37/52, 71.2%) accessed all 6 modules. Users reported high satisfaction with the abbreviated program.

CONCLUSIONS: While preliminary and limited by the pre-post design, these findings indicate that abbreviated internet-based stress recovery programs are a promising and practical tool for supporting the mental health of health care workers. Future research should examine the long-term effects, compare the abbreviated and standard versions, and explore implementation in routine practice.

PMID:42247680 | DOI:10.2196/89312

Document this CPD