A Hybrid Psychosocial Prevention Intervention for Mental Health: Findings from a Longitudinal Waitlist-Controlled Study (Preprint)

<sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> <p>Hybrid psychosocial prevention interventions combining face-to-face and digitally supported components may help reduce psychosocial burden and support health-related functioning. However, evidence from routine prevention and rehabilitation settings remains limited, particularly regarding psychosocial, behavioral, and digital health-related outcomes following hybrid interventions.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> <p>This study examined longitudinal changes associated with participation in the hybrid psychosocial prevention intervention RV Fit Mental Health across psychosocial symptoms, quality of life, eHealth literacy, work ability, self-efficacy, optimism, and health-related behaviors under routine rehabilitation care conditions. Quasi-experimental waitlist-controlled analyses were additionally performed to distinguish intervention-associated changes from general temporal developments.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> <p>A prospective longitudinal effectiveness study was conducted under routine rehabilitation conditions using a repeated-measures design with an additional quasi-experimental waitlist-controlled analysis. The 14-week intervention consisted of a 2-week inpatient psychosocial prevention phase followed by a 12-week digitally supported training phase. Continuous outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed models, whereas health-related behaviors were analyzed using generalized estimating equations.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> <p>Assessments were completed by 416 participants at intervention start, 336 at the end of the inpatient phase, and 162 at postintervention follow-up. Significant longitudinal improvements were observed across psychosocial symptoms, quality of life, work ability, self-efficacy, optimism, and eHealth literacy outcomes (all P≤.003). The largest longitudinal effects were observed for stress symptoms (partial η²=0.52, P&lt;.001), depressive symptoms (partial η²=0.51, P&lt;.001), physical quality of life (partial η²=0.40, P&lt;.001), anxiety symptoms (partial η²=0.36, P&lt;.001), and psychological quality of life (partial η²=0.36, P&lt;.001). Most improvements occurred between intervention start and the end of the inpatient phase, whereas selected eHealth literacy outcomes continued to improve during the digitally supported phase. Significant improvements were additionally observed for physical activity (OR=1.52, P=.003), fruit consumption (OR=1.43, P=.005), alcohol consumption (OR=1.37, P=.001), and smoking behavior (OR=1.14, P=.022). In the waitlist-controlled analyses, intervention-associated improvements exceeding waiting-period changes were observed for physical quality of life (P&lt;.001), psychological quality of life (P=.004), stress symptoms (P=.005), anxiety symptoms (P=.040), self-efficacy (P=.040), optimism (P=.012), and selected eHealth literacy outcomes (all P≤.046).</p> </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> <p>Participation in RV Fit Mental Health was associated with improvements across psychosocial symptoms, quality of life, work ability, eHealth literacy, and selected health-related behaviors. The findings suggest that hybrid psychosocial prevention interventions combining inpatient treatment with digitally supported follow-up may effectively reduce stress- and anxiety-related burden while supporting the development of digital health competencies. These findings provide real-world evidence supporting the implementation of hybrid psychosocial prevention models in rehabilitation and occupational health settings.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>CLINICALTRIAL</title> <p>German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00033080 (registration date: December 7, 2023).</p> </sec>