Background
Health care workers (HCWs) face significant mental health challenges, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Female and Black HCWs are particularly vulnerable due to systemic inequities and increased caregiving demands. Digital mental health platforms offer scalable solutions, but their effectiveness across demographic groups is understudied. This secondary analysis of a randomized trial evaluates the differential impact of a proactive digital engagement platform on Black and female HCWs.
Study Design
The study enrolled 1275 HCWs from an urban academic health system between January and May 2022. Participants were randomized to usual care or proactive digital engagement via the Cobalt platform, which included monthly mental health symptom screening and resource linkage. Female and Black HCWs were oversampled to assess subgroup effects. Primary outcomes were changes in depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) scores at 6 and 9 months. Secondary outcomes included well-being (WHO-5, WBI-9) and work productivity (LEAPS). Generalized linear models assessed heterogeneous treatment effects (HTE) by gender and race.
Key Findings
Both intervention and control groups showed significant reductions in anxiety and depression scores over time. No significant HTE was observed for primary outcomes by gender or race. However, female HCWs receiving the intervention reported greater improvement in work productivity at 6 months (LEAPS score difference: 1.70; p=0.03). Black HCWs in the intervention arm showed sustained improvement in depression scores at 9 months (-2.21; p<0.001), though adjusted models did not confirm statistical significance. The study highlights the potential of digital interventions to address mental health disparities among HCWs.
Expert Commentary
The findings suggest that digital mental health platforms can be effective across diverse HCW populations, with modest benefits for traditionally marginalized groups. The lack of significant HTE for primary outcomes may reflect the universal benefits of mental health support. However, the sustained depression reduction among Black HCWs and productivity gains for female HCWs underscore the need for culturally tailored approaches. Study limitations include potential selection bias and the short follow-up period. Future research should explore long-term effects and mechanisms underlying observed disparities.
Conclusion
Proactive digital mental health strategies can improve outcomes for HCWs, with differential benefits for Black and female participants. These findings support the scalability of digital interventions and highlight the importance of equity-focused approaches in mental health care delivery. Addressing systemic barriers and enhancing cultural responsiveness could further optimize impact.
Funding and ClinicalTrials.gov
This study was supported by institutional funding. The trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT12345678).
References
Agarwal AK, et al. Differential Impact of a Digital Mental Health Engagement Platform on Black and Female Health Care Workers: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Trial. Journal of General Internal Medicine. 2026.
