resiLIR HCP: A Self-Guided Digital Resilience Intervention for Healthcare Professionals Focusing on Self-Care and Self-Compassion – A Randomized Controlled Trial

<p>Background:</p> <p>Healthcare professionals (HCPs) experience high occupational stress, contributing to mental health problems and workforce attrition. Scalable, low-threshold digital resilience interventions may alleviate this burden, yet, evidence for sustained effects – particularly with dynamic operationalizations of resilience – remains limited.</p> <p>Objective:</p> <p>This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated the effectiveness of resiLIR HCP, a 6-week, self-guided, web-based intervention focusing on self-care and self-compassion with brief daily exercises, in promoting HCP resilience.</p> <p>Methods:</p> <p>HCPs (N = 234) were randomized to the intervention or a waitlist control group. Assessments were conducted at baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. The primary outcome was resilience operationalized as stressor reactivity (SR score). Secondary outcomes included resilience- and work-related outcomes. Analyses followed per-protocol (PP) and intention-to-treat (ITT) approaches. The study was preregistered (Clinicaltrials-ID: BLINDED FOR REVIEW).</p> <p>Results:</p> <p>PP analyses revealed significant group x time intervention effects in resilience (SR score) at post-intervention, which attenuated at follow-up. Significant effects at postintervention were also observed for self-care, self-compassion, self-efficacy, and psychological distress, whereas effects on depressive and anxiety symptoms were not robust after adjustment for multiple testing. No significant effects were found for burnout or worklife balance. ITT analyses showed attenuated effects, with significant intervention effects for 2 psychological distress and the self-care subfactor pacing at post-intervention only. Adherence was limited: with 43.2% meeting the predefined adherence criterion.</p> <p>Conclusions:</p> <p>resiLIR HCP improved resilience and mental health among engaged participants. Limited adherence and non-significant effects on work-related outcomes highlight the need to enhance engagement and integrate digital interventions into multi-level prevention strategies.</p> <div></div>