Predictors of response to a single session intervention to reduce emotional distress using of Enhanced Psychoeducation among professionals from essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Single session intervention (SSI) have been shown to be an effective strategy for reducing emotional distress. Enhanced psychoeducation (EP), which includes empathic listening, risk stratification, symptom monitoring, and habit modification, is particularly suitable for SSIs. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the predictors of responses to an online EP intervention among professionals from essential services during the COVID19 in Brazil with the aim of reducing emotional distress. METHODS This study analyzed data from the TELEPSI Project from April 2020 to December 2021. We included all participants who received SSIs with high levels of emotional distress (T-scores above 70 on the PROMIS for anxiety, depression, or irritability). RESULTS The final sample consisted of 460 subjects, 89.1% female and 81.1% health professionals, of which 300 subjects underwent reassessment in one month (65% retention). Participants with harmful use of social networks, spending time on social media, playing video games, smoking, drinking alcohol, using drugs, and spending time with pets showed a less pronounced decrease in symptoms. In contrast, participants who played instruments or had already received psychological treatment showed a greater magnitude of decrease in symptoms. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the impact of lifestyle factors on SSI efficacy. These results underscore the importance of considering individual lifestyle factors when implementing SSIs, and contribute to a growing body of evidence supporting the tailored application of psychoeducational strategies in mental health interventions, particularly in high-stress environments.