Digital Mental Health Treatment and Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Breast Cancer Survivors

Can a digital mental health treatment (DMHT) mitigate symptoms of anxiety and depression in breast cancer survivors with elevated symptoms?In this randomized clinical trial of 313 women with breast cancer, compared with participants who received a smartphone-delivered psychoeducation program, those assigned to the smartphone-delivered DMHT program reported significantly greater reductions in symptoms of anxiety but not depression. Among participants who showed suboptimal DMHT engagement during the first intervention week, human coaching (vs no coaching) increased the number of days of application use.The findings of this trial indicate that breast cancer survivors with symptoms of anxiety may benefit from a scalable and accessible DMHT program.

Corresponding Author: Philip I. Chow, PhD, Center for Behavioral Health and Technology, University of Virginia, PO Box 801075, Charlottesville, VA 22908 (pic2u@virginia.edu).

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