Background: Patients with post-COVID/long-COVID symptoms need support, and health care professionals need to be able to provide evidence-based patient care. Digital interventions can meet these requirements, especially if personal contact is limited. Objective: We reviewed evidence-based digital interventions that are currently available to help manage physical and mental health in patients with post-COVID/long-COVID symptoms. Methods: A scoping review was carried out summarizing novel digital health interventions for treating post-COVID/long-COVID patients. Using the PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcome) scheme, original studies were summarized, in which patients with post-COVID/long-COVID symptoms used digital interventions to help aid recovery. Results: From all scanned articles, 8 original studies matched the inclusion criteria. Of the 8 studies, 3 were “pretest” studies, 3 described the implementation of a telerehabilitation program, 1 was a post-COVID/long-COVID program, and 1 described the results of qualitative interviews with patients who used an online peer-support group. Following the PICO scheme, we summarized previous studies. Studies varied in terms of participants (P), ranging from adults in different countries, such as former hospitalized patients with COVID-19, to individuals in disadvantaged communities in the United Kingdom, as well as health care workers. In addition, the studies included patients who had previously been infected with COVID-19 and who had ongoing symptoms. Some studies focused on individuals with specific symptoms, including those with either post–COVID-19 or long-term symptoms, while other studies included patients based on participation in online peer-support groups. The interventions (I) also varied. Most interventions used a combination of psychological and physical exercises, but they varied in duration, frequency, and social dimensions. The reviewed studies investigated the physical and mental health conditions of patients with post-COVID/long-COVID symptoms. Most studies had no control (C) group, and most studies reported outcomes (O) or improvements in physiological health perception, some physical conditions, fatigue, and some psychological aspects such as depression. However, some studies found no improvements in bowel or bladder problems, concentration, short-term memory, unpleasant dreams, physical ailments, perceived bodily pain, emotional ailments, and perceived mental health. Conclusions: More systematic research with larger sample sizes is required to overcome sampling bias and include health care professionals’ perspectives, as well as help patients mobilize support from health care professionals and social network partners. The evidence so far suggests that patients should be provided with digital interventions to manage symptoms and reintegrate into everyday life, including work.

Background: The postacute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) can be addressed with multidisciplinary approaches, including professional support and digital interventions. Objective: This research aimed to test whether patients who received a health care facilitation program including medical internet support from human personal pilots and digital interventions (intervention group [IG] and active control group [ACG]) would experience fewer symptoms and have higher work ability and social participation than an untreated comparison group (CompG). The second objective was to compare the impact of a diagnostic assessment and digital interventions tailored to patients’ personal capacity (IG) with that of only personal support and digital interventions targeting the main symptoms (ACG). Methods: In total, 1020 patients with PACS were recruited. Using a randomized controlled trial design between the IG and the ACG, as well as propensity score matching to include the CompG, analyses were run with logistic regression and hierarchical-linear models. Results: Symptoms decreased significantly in all groups over time (βT1-T2=0.13, t549=5.67, P<.001; βT2-T4=0.06, t549=2.83, P=.01), with a main effect of the group (β=–.15, t549=–2.65, P=.01) and a more pronounced effect in the IG and ACG compared to the CompG (between groups: βT1-T2=0.14, t549=4.31, P<.001; βT2-T4=0.14, t549=4.57, P<.001). Work ability and social participation were lower in the CompG, but there was no significant interaction effect. There were no group differences between the IG and the ACG. Conclusions: Empowerment through personal pilots and digital interventions reduces symptoms but does not increase work ability and social participation. More longitudinal research is needed to evaluate the effects of a diagnostic assessment. Social support and digital interventions should be incorporated to facilitate health care interventions for PACS. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05238415; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05238415. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-10.1186/s12879-022-07584-z

Background: Because the clinical patterns and symptoms that persist after a COVID-19 infection are diverse, a diagnosis of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) is difficult to implement. The current research project therefore aims to evaluate the feasibility and the practicability of a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral treatment program consisting of a low-threshold online screening and holistic assessment for PACS. Furthermore, it aims to evaluate digital interventions and the use of so-called personal guides that may help to facilitate the recovery of PACS.Methods: This German study consists of a low-threshold online screening for PACS where positively screened participants will be supported throughout by personal pilots. The personal pilots are aimed at empowering patients and helping them to navigate through the study and different treatment options. Patients will then be randomly assigned either to an intervention group (IG) or an active control group (ACG). The IG will receive a comprehensive assessment of physiological and psychological functioning to inform future treatment. The ACG does not receive the assessment but both groups will receive a treatment consisting of an individual digital treatment program (digital intervention platform and an intervention via a chatbot). This digital intervention is based on the needs identified during the assessment for participants in the IG. Compared to that, the ACG will receive a more common digital treatment program aiming to reduce PACS symptoms. Importantly, a third comparison group (CompG) will be recruited that does not receive any treatment. A propensity score matching will take place, ensuring comparability between the participants. Primary endpoints of the study are symptom reduction and return to work. Secondary outcomes comprise, for example, social participation and activities in daily life. Furthermore, the feasibility and applicability of the online screening tool, the holistic assessment, digital trainings, and personal pilots will be evaluated.Discussion: This is one of the first large-scale studies to improve the diagnosis and the care of patients with PACS by means of empowerment. It is to be evaluated whether the methods utilized can be used for the German and international population.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05238415; date of registration: February 14, 2022

These pre-registered studies shed light on the cues that individuals use to identify rich people. In two studies (N = 598), we first developed a factor-analytical model that describes the content and the mental structure of 24 wealth cues. A third within-subject study (N = 89) then assessed the perception of rich subgroups based on this model of wealth cues. Participants evaluated the extent to which the wealth cues applied to two distinct subgroups of rich people. The results show: German and US-American participants think that one can identify rich people based on the same set of cues which can be grouped along the following dimensions: luxury consumption, expensive hobbies, spontaneous spending, greedy behavior, charismatic behavior, self-presentation, and specific possessions. However, Germans and US-Americans relied on these cues to different degrees to diagnose wealth in others. Moreover, we found evidence for subgroup-specific wealth cue profiles insofar as target individuals who acquired their wealth via internal (e.g., hard work) compared to external means (e.g., lottery winners) were evaluated differently on these wealth cues, presumably because of their perceived differences in valence and competence. Together, this research provides new insights in the cognitive representation of the latent construct of wealth. Practical implications for research on the perception of affluence, and implications for political decision makers, are discussed in the last section.

Background: Individuals’ physical and mental health, as well as their chances of returning to work after their ability to work is damaged, can be addressed by medical rehabilitation.Aim: This study investigated the developmental trends of mental and physical health among patients in medical rehabilitation and the roles of self-efficacy and physical fitness in the development of mental and physical health.Design: A longitudinal design that included four time-point measurements across 15 months.Setting: A medical rehabilitation center in Germany.Population: Participants included 201 patients who were recruited from a medical rehabilitation center.Methods: To objectively measure physical fitness (lung functioning), oxygen reabsorption at anaerobic threshold (VO2AT) was used, along with several self-report scales.Results: We found a nonlinear change in mental health among medical rehabilitation patients. The results underscored the importance of medical rehabilitation for patients’ mental health over time. In addition, patients’ physical health was stable over time. The initial level of physical fitness (VO2AT) positively predicted their mental health and kept the trend more stable. Self-efficacy appeared to have a positive relationship with mental health after rehabilitation treatment.Conclusions: This study revealed a nonlinear change in mental health among medical rehabilitation patients. Self-efficacy was positively related to mental health, and the initial level of physical fitness positively predicted the level of mental health after rehabilitation treatment.Clinical Rehabilitation: More attention could be given to physical capacity and self-efficacy for improving and maintaining rehabilitants’ mental health.

Health psychology sheds light on the process of returning to work after sick leave and subsequent medical rehabilitation. A 15-month longitudinal study with N = 201 orthopedic rehabilitation patients is reported. It examined whether and how both physiological health (e.g. body mass index and oxygen reabsorption) and psychological/social-cognitive factors (e.g. self-efficacy and social support) are related to returning to work. It was found that social-cognitive and physiological variables, such as oxygen consumption at anaerobic threshold, are important for returning to work. While physical activity was significantly correlated with social-cognitive variables, it was not significantly correlated directly with returning to work. Results suggest that self-efficacy and oxygen consumption at anaerobic threshold should be improved during medical rehabilitation.