StayWell

StayWell

Helping Californians cope with social distancing via daily text-based CBT during COVID-19

The StayWell project was a 60-day text messaging intervention targeting depression and anxiety symptoms among Latinx and Non-Latinx White (NLW) populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), users received daily automated messages focused on skills like managing negative thoughts, relaxation, and goal-setting. The RE-AIM framework (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) was used to evaluate how well the intervention reached diverse groups, its clinical effectiveness, and its long-term sustainability. The study found Latinx users had greater symptom improvement, addressing mental health disparities.

Team

Principal Investigators

• Adrian Aguilera, Ph.D.
  • Associate Professor
    • University of California, Berkeley
    • University of California, San Francisco, Psychiatry
• Caroline Figueroa, MD, Ph.D.
  • Assistant Professor, Technische Universiteit Delft

Post-Doctoral Scholars

• Marvyn Arévalo Avalos, Ph.D.
  • University of California, Berkeley

Graduate Students

• Alein Haro, Ph.D., MPH
• Claire E. Boone, Ph.D., MPH

Staff

• Rosa Hernandez-Ramos, B.A.
• Karina Rosales, B.A.

Research Assistants

• Vivian Yip, B.A.
• Suchitra Sudarshan, B.A.