Clinical Scorecard: Efficacy of the Holidaily Mobile App in Alleviating Work-Related Rumination Following Vacation: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

At a Glance

Key Highlights

• Vacations improve mental health but benefits typically fade rapidly after return to work.
• Holidaily app significantly reduced work-related rumination two weeks post-vacation compared to controls (p < 0.001, d = −0.67).
• Reduction in rumination persisted up to four weeks among app users, indicating sustained recovery benefits.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

• Assess work-related rumination as a key transdiagnostic factor linked to burnout and depression.

Management

• Implement low-threshold, gamified mobile health interventions like Holidaily to extend vacation recovery benefits.
• Encourage use of digital tools to reduce work-related rumination post-vacation.

Monitoring & Follow-up

• Evaluate rumination levels before vacation, immediately after, and at two-week intervals post-vacation to monitor recovery sustainability.

Risks

• Rapid fade-out of vacation benefits may occur without intervention, increasing risk for burnout and depression.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Workers from the general population experiencing work-related rumination

Holidaily app users showed a 22.2% reduction in rumination two weeks post-vacation versus 6.9% in controls; reductions persisted up to four weeks (26.1%) among users.

Clinical Best Practices

• Use standardized measurement protocols assessing rumination two weeks before and after vacation for consistent evaluation.
• Address pre-vacation workplace stressors to optimize recovery outcomes.
• Incorporate digital mental health interventions as scalable preventive public health tools for working populations.

References

• Clinical Trial Registration