P125 The effect of wellbeing mobile-applications on the Mental and Physical Health of Healthcare workers: A Systematic Review
Abstract Introduction The growing pressure on Healthcare workers (HCWs) can lead to worsening physical and mental wellbeing. Use of traditional support systems is limited and whilst there are a significant number of mental health platforms, few are targeted towards HCWs. Objective This review aimed to assess the available literature and platforms focused on supporting HCWs mental health and wellbeing. Methods A systematic search, following PRISMA guidelines was conducted. Abstracts were included if they targeted HCWs and used smartphone apps to support wellbeing. A further comprehensive application search of IOS and Android stores was performed to identify HCW wellbeing applications. Results In total 725 abstracts were identified. 10 publications, with a total of 683 participants, relating to wellbeing applications in HCWs met the inclusion criteria. 87% of the HCWs included in the studies were female. The majority (9/10) of the studies reported improved wellbeing of HCWs following the use of app-based interventions. A total of 1656 mobile applications were identified and met the inclusion criteria if they focused on HCWs wellbeing. The majority of the studies and apps focused on increasing mindfulness practices and yielded statistically significant results compared to traditional interventions. Conclusion Wellbeing programmes delivered through an app provide convenience and can improve the mental and physical wellbeing HCW’s. This is particularly key during challenging times. Given the limited number of published studies on smartphone apps and the limited number of apps for HCWs, it is clear that there is a deficit that requires urgent addressing despite two promising candidates.