Introduction: Several studies indicate an association between mental disorders and overweight or obesity. E-mental-health interventions offer an effective way to overcome barriers to health care access for individuals with overweight and obesity. The objective of this study was to examine the needs and demands for e-mental health interventions among individuals with overweight and obesity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 2020 to 2021 in Germany. A total of 643 participants were recruited through specialized social media platforms and the Alfried-Krupp hospital in Essen, Germany. Sociodemographic and medical data were analyzed, as well as data on depressive symptoms and on the needs and demands for e-mental health interventions. Results: Contact with and recommendation by experts appear to be key aspects in the acceptance and use of e-mental health interventions. In summary, most participants preferred a 20- to 30-minute weekly session via smartphone over a four-month period. The highest preference in terms of features included practicing coping skills and being provided with information; in regard to desired topics, nutrition consultation, quality of life and adapting to new life situations were considered most important. Discussion: E-mental health interventions can be highly beneficial for individuals, especially when developed through a user-centered design approach. The results of the study indicate which content and design are preferred and, thereby, provide valuable information for consideration when developing a tailored e-mental health intervention.

For advanced cancer inpatients, the established standard for gathering information about symptom burden involves a daily assessment by nursing staff using validated assessments. In contrast, a systematic assessment of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) is required, but it is not yet systematically implemented. We hypothesized that current practice results in underrating the severity of patients’ symptom burden. To explore this hypothesis, we have established systematic electronic PROMs (ePROMs) using validated instruments at a major German Comprehensive Cancer Center. In this retrospective, non-interventional study, lasting from September 2021 to February 2022, we analyzed collected data from 230 inpatients. Symptom burden obtained by nursing staff was compared to the data acquired by ePROMs. Differences were detected by performing descriptive analyses, Chi-Square tests, Fisher’s exact, Phi-correlation, Wilcoxon tests, and Cohen’s r. Our analyses pointed out that pain and anxiety especially were significantly underrated by nursing staff. Nursing staff ranked these symptoms as non-existent, whereas patients stated at least mild symptom burden (pain: meanNRS/epaAC = 0 (no); meanePROM = 1 (mild); p < 0.05; r = 0.46; anxiety: meanepaAC = 0 (no); meanePROM = 1 (mild); p < 0.05; r = 0.48). In conclusion, supplementing routine symptom assessment used daily by nursing staff with the systematic, e-health-enabled acquisition of PROMs may improve the quality of supportive and palliative care.

BACKGROUND Obesity and depression are inter-related health concerns, demanding a high level of treatment and costs in the health care system. The development of eHealth interventions that simultaneously address obesity and mental health can be supportive in this regard. However, evidence of the efficacy of eHealth interventions in the treatment of depression in obese people is lacking. OBJECTIVE The aim of this systematic literature review is to evaluate the efficacy of existing eHealth interventions for obese people that target depression. METHODS We systematically searched electronic databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus) to identify studies published in English between January 2016 and December 2021, that focused on eHealth interventions, targeting depression in obese people. Exclusion criteria were study objectives that (1) focused specifically on one or more metabolic comorbidities of obese people, e.g., hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes; (2) focused specifically on eating disorders comorbidities e.g., binge eating disorder, and (3) focused specifically on patients before or after bariatric surgery. RESULTS The database search identified 187 records. Six articles were included in this review. Sample sizes ranged from 70 to 1267 participants of ages 18-60 years. All included studies were randomized controlled trials. Two of the six included studies were web-based interventions guided either by medical doctors or psychologists. All interventions included video, printed materials, and interactive parts of which two studies integrated elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Social Cognitive Therapy. The findings showed that eHealth treatment services, supported and guided throughout the intervention had high acceptance and efficacy in the reduction of depression among obese people. CONCLUSIONS EHealth interventions that address and target both mental and physical health with interactive strategies calls for better efficacy in the reduction of depression. Future eHealth interventions that target depression in obese people should integrate digital strategies that address both mental and physical health through interactive modules.