LAUSR

World Psychiatry 21:1 February 2022 ticipants with both intake and last session rating, 42% exhibited greater than 50% reduction on the GAD­7 (mean change: –4.45, SD=4.22), and 43% showed greater than 50% reduction on the PHQ­9 (mean change: –3.97, SD=4.42). Thus, we found that a brief, in­house, telehealth­delivered, psychotherapy skills­based intervention significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression among health care workers, the majority of whom were frontline workers, likely exposed to acute and chronic stress due to COVID­19. This is among the first reports of efficacy for such a brief, on­demand psychological in­ tervention tailored to health care workers during the pandemic. While direct comparison is difficult, the percentage of treat­ ment responders was similar to that observed in brief evidence­ based psychotherapies, and greater than reported effects in psy ­ chotherapy control conditions. Limitations of the study in clude the lack of a control group and the brief follow­up. Nonetheless, our findings suggest that accessible, high­quality, brief interven­ tions can reduce psychological distress among health care work­ ers and may provide a template for other health systems.