Effectiveness of a chatbot in improving the mental wellbeing of health workers in Malawi during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized, controlled trial.

We conducted a randomized, controlled trial (RCT) to investigate our hypothesis that the interactive chatbot, Vitalk, is more effective in improving mental wellbeing and resilience outcomes of health workers in Malawi than the passive use of Internet resources. For our 2-arm, 8-week, parallel RCT (ISRCTN Registry: trial ID ISRCTN16378480), we recruited participants from 8 professional cadres from public and private healthcare facilities. The treatment arm used Vitalk; the control arm received links to Internet resources.

Preliminary Evaluation of the Engagement and Effectiveness of a Mental Health Chatbot.

Mental health difficulties are highly prevalent, yet access to support is limited by barriers of stigma, cost, and availability. These issues are even more prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, and digital technology is one potential way to overcome these barriers. Digital mental health interventions are effective but often struggle with low engagement rates, particularly in the absence of human support.

Chatbot-Based Assessment of Employees' Mental Health: Design Process and Pilot Implementation.

Background: Stress, burnout, and mental health problems such as depression and anxiety are common, and can significantly impact workplaces through absenteeism and reduced productivity. To address this issue, organizations must first understand the extent of the difficulties by mapping the mental health of their workforce. Online surveys are a cost-effective and scalable approach to achieve this but typically have low response rates, in part due to a lack of interactivity.

Disclosing the diagnosis of schizophrenia: A pilot study of the 'Coming Out Proud' intervention.

Background: Schizophrenia is one of the most stigmatized psychiatric disorders, and disclosing it is often a source of stress to individuals with the disorder. The Coming Out Proud (COP) group intervention is designed to reduce the stigma's negative impact and help participants decide if they want to disclose their disorder.

Aims: To assess the effect of the COP intervention in individuals with the diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Home-Based Psychiatric Outpatient Care Through Videoconferencing for Depression: A Randomized Controlled Follow-Up Trial.

Background: There is a tremendous opportunity for innovative mental health care solutions such as psychiatric care through videoconferencing to increase the number of people who have access to quality care. However, studies are needed to generate empirical evidence on the use of psychiatric outpatient care via videoconferencing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries and clinically unsupervised settings.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of home-based treatment for mild depression through psychiatric consultations via videoconferencing.

Development of an integrative cessation program for co-smokers of cigarettes and cannabis: demand analysis, program description, and acceptability.

Background: Tobacco and cannabis use are strongly interrelated, but current national and international cessation programs typically focus on one substance, and address the other substance either only marginally or not at all. This study aimed to identify the demand for, and describe the development and content of, the first integrative group cessation program for co-smokers of cigarettes and cannabis.

Methods: First, a preliminary study using expert interviews, user focus groups with (ex-)smokers, and an online survey was conducted to investigate the demand for, and potential content of, an integrative smoking cessation program (ISCP) for tobacco and cannabis co-smokers.

Posttraumatic growth in mothers and fathers of children with severe illnesses.

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) can occur after various types of trauma but has not been studied prospectively in parents of children with chronic diseases. In this study, PTG was assessed in 126 parents of 67 children with type 1 diabetes or cancer three years after diagnosis. Most parents (62.

Drug Checking: A prevention measure for a heterogeneous group with high consumption frequency and polydrug use - evaluation of zurich's drug checking services.

Background: The increasing party culture in Zurich presents new challenges, especially regarding the consumption of alcohol and so-called party drugs. Streetwork, the youth advisory service of the city of Zurich, has provided onsite and stationary Drug Checking facilities since 2001 and 2006, respectively. Drug Checking always involves filling out an anonymous questionnaire, which allows the collection of important information about a largely unknown group of users and their consumption patterns.