title: Managing Depressive Symptoms in the Workplace Using a Web-Based Self-Care Tool: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression in the workplace creates a significant burden on employees and employers in terms of lost productivity and related costs. myStrength provides a robust, holistic Web- and mobile-based solution empowering users to learn, practice, and implement a range of evidence-based psychological interventions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The main aim of this study was to demonstrate improvement in depressive symptoms among employees at risk of depression through myStrength use.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 26-week, parallel-arm, pilot, randomized controlled trial was designed to assess the effectiveness of myStrength compared to a series of informational "Depression Tip/Fact of the Week" emails as the active control arm. Study participants (n=146) were commercially insured employees of a mid-sized financial software solutions firm. The primary outcome was self-reported change in depression score as best fit by a linear random effects model accounting for individual baseline symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The final sample consisted of 78 participants in the experimental arm, myStrength, and 68 participants in the active control arm. myStrength users demonstrated significantly steeper and more rapid reduction in depressive symptoms over time compared to the active control (P<.001), suggesting that the intervention generated improvement in behavioral health symptoms, even in a nonclinical sample.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study builds foundational support for the scalable deployment of myStrength as a complementary behavioral health offering to promote overall mental health and well-being in the workplace.
authors.affiliation: myStrength, Inc, Denver, CO, United States.
authors.forename: Abigail
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2002-5534
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.affiliation: Centerstone of America, Nashville, TN, United States.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2728-0255
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luellen
authors.affiliation: Centerstone of America, Nashville, TN, United States.
authors.forename: Jared M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8603-322X
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Holder
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9424-0595
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.affiliation: myStrength, Inc, Denver, CO, United States.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9380-9260
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dubiel
authors.affiliation: myStrength, Inc, Denver, CO, United States.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6154-7005
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blazejowskyj
authors.affiliation: myStrength, Inc, Denver, CO, United States.
authors.forename: Krista
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3558-0565
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schladweiler
keywords: behavioral health; depression; health promotion; randomized controlled trial; workplace