Pilot Feasibility and Acceptability of a Spanish Translation of Web-Based Cognitive Bias Modification for Interpretation Among Spanish-Speaking Latinx Individuals With Anxiety

Abstract

Digital mental health interventions may be a critical tool to help fill the substantial need for low-cost, effective mental health supports among Spanish-speaking Latinx individuals. This study evaluated the pilot feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a Spanish-translated, web-based cognitive bias modification for interpretation intervention with surface-level cultural enhancements (called MindTrails-Spanish) in an online sample of Spanish-speaking Latinx individuals with a history of anxiety. Bilingual English/Spanish-speaking individuals were randomized to receive an email invitation for either the standard English version of MindTrails (MindTrails-English) or the Spanish version of MindTrails (MindTrails-Spanish-Bilingual). Separately, monolingual Spanish-speaking individuals were allocated to receive an invitation for the Spanish version of MindTrails (MindTrails-Spanish-Monolingual). Participants were asked to complete one MindTrails session per week for two weeks, and assessment measures at pre- and post-intervention to assess change in positive interpretation bias, negative interpretation bias, anxiety symptoms (using two separate measures), and overall perceptions of MindTrails. Results were compared to a priori benchmarks of clinically meaningful outcomes. All three conditions met benchmarks for feasibility and primary acceptability items. The MindTrails-Spanish-Bilingual condition met benchmarks for improvements in all four intervention outcomes, whereas the MindTrails-Spanish-Monolingual condition met benchmarks for two (negative interpretation bias and one of the two anxiety measures). Findings support the feasibility and acceptability of MindTrails-Spanish with Spanish-speaking Latinx individuals. A larger randomized controlled trial is needed to determine whether Spanish translation and cultural enhancement can increase adherence, satisfaction and intervention outcomes in this subpopulation.