Cited by 30Digital Mental Health InterventionsHealthcare professionals’ stress and burnoutStress and Burnout Research

Examining the effectiveness of web-based interventions to enhance resilience in health care professionals: systematic review

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Henshall, Catherine, Ostinelli, Edoardo, Harvey, Jade, Davey, Zoe, Aghanenu, Bemigho, Cipriani, Andrea, Attenburrow, Mary-Jane·2022·JMIR Medical Education

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Internationally, the impact of continued exposure to workplace environmental and psychological stressors on health care professionals' mental health is associated with increased depression, substance misuse, sleep disorders, and posttraumatic stress. This can lead to staff burnout, poor quality health care, and reduced patient safety outcomes. Strategies to improve the psychological health and well-being of health care staff have been highlighted as a critical priority worldwide. The concept of resilience for health care professionals as a tool for negotiating workplace adversity has gained increasing prominence. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to examine the effectiveness of web-based interventions to enhance resilience in health care professionals. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Ovid SP databases for relevant records published after 1990 until July 2021. We included studies that focused on internet-delivered interventions aiming at enhancing resilience. Study quality was assessed with the Risk of Bias 2 tool for randomized controlled trial designs and Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool for other study designs. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews; CRD42021253190). PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed. RESULTS: A total of 8 studies, conducted between 2014 and 2020 and involving 1573 health care workers, were included in the review. In total, 4 randomized controlled trial designs and 4 pre- and postdesign studies were conducted across a range of international settings and health care disciplines. All of these studies aimed to evaluate the impact of web-based interventions on resilience or related symptoms in health care professionals involved in patient-facing care. Interventions included various web-based formats and therapeutic approaches over variable time frames. One randomized controlled trial directly measured resilience, whereas the remaining 3 used proxy measures to measure psychological concepts linked to resilience. Three pretest and posttest studies directly measured resilience, whereas the fourth study used a proxy resilience measure. Owing to the heterogeneity of outcome measures and intervention designs, meta-analysis was not possible, and qualitative data synthesis was undertaken. All studies found that resilience or proxy resilience levels were enhanced in health care workers following the implementation of web-based interventions. The overall risk of bias of all 8 studies was low. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that web-based interventions designed to enhance resilience may be effective in clinical practice settings and have the potential to provide support to frontline staff experiencing prolonged workplace stress across a range of health care professional groups. However, the heterogeneity of included studies means that findings should be interpreted with caution; more web-based interventions need rigorous testing to further develop the evidence base. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42021253190; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=253190.

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  • Henshall et al. found eight studies indicating post-intervention enhancements in resilience following web-based interventions.

    “Another systematic review by Henshall et al. (26) explored the effectiveness of web-based interventions on the resilience of healthcare professionals, including eight studies indicating post-intervention enhancements in resilience. All eight studies demonstrated an improvement in resilience levels and associated symptoms following the web-based interventions.”

    From Digital resilience interventions for healthcare workers: a systematic review (2025) · cites this paper as [26]

    The Abstract (Results) says all eight studies found improvements in resilience or proxy measures following web-based interventions. It also says only four studies directly measured resilience; the others measured related psychological outcomes. Thus, the eight-study finding is supported, but saying all eight demonstrated improved resilience levels overstates what they measured. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Henshall et al.'s systematic review revealed a positive impact of web-based interventions on resilience and associated symptoms in health professionals in clinical practice settings.

    “In a similar vein, Henshall et al. (26) conducted a systematic review encompassing eight studies, revealing a positive impact of web-based interventions on resilience and associated symptoms in health professionals in clinical practice settings.”

    From Digital resilience interventions for healthcare workers: a systematic review (2025) · cites this paper as Henshall et al. (26)

  • A recent review showed web-based resilience-enhancement interventions have potential value in clinical practice settings by supporting staff who experienced prolonged workplace stress.

    “A recent review examining the use of web-based resilience-enhancement interventions showed them to have potential value in clinical practice settings by supporting staff who experienced prolonged workplace stress [35].”

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [15]Survey of America's Physicians COVID-19 impact edition: a year later The Physicians Foundation 2021 6 5 2021-11-28 https://physiciansfoundation.org/physician-and-patient-surveys/the-physicians-foundation-2021-physician-survey/

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Authors
Henshall, C., Ostinelli, E., Harvey, J., Davey, Z., Aghanenu, B., Cipriani, A., & Attenburrow, M.-J.
Affiliations
  • Oxford Brookes University (GB)
  • National Health Service (GB)
Corresponding author
Henshall, Catherine
Venue
JMIR Medical Education
Published
2022-09-06
Volume
8
Issue
3
Pages
e34230
ISSN
2369-3762 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4294755238
Cited by
30
References
56
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1
FWCI
0.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • JMIR Medical Education (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • Radar (Oxford Brookes University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research (AI_AWARD02183, RP-2017-08-ST2-006, BRC‐1215‐20005, NIHR Research Professorship (grant RP-2017-08-ST2-, NIHR-INF-2098)
  • Department of Health and Social Care
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration Oxford and Thames Valley
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
Keywords
resilience, online intervention, healthcare workers, occupational stress, psychological well-being, burnout, depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress, workplace mental health, frontline workers

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