Can health and wellness coaching improve the quality of life of people living with chronic illnesses? And does it strengthen self-efficacy and help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety?
This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the impact of health and wellness coaching on patient-important outcomes. To do so, the researchers analyzed 30 randomized controlled trials involving 8,662 participants and compared health and wellness coaching with usual care or interventions without coaching. The studies examined four primary outcomes: quality of life, self-efficacy, depression, and anxiety.
The findings showed improvements in quality of life after 3 months, in self-efficacy after approximately six weeks, and in depressive symptoms after 3, 6, and 12 months. However, no significant effect was found for anxiety, and there was insufficient evidence of a long-term effect. The authors conclude that health and wellness coaching may improve quality of life, self-efficacy, and depressive symptoms among people living with chronic illnesses, particularly in the short term.
Citation:
Boehmer, Kasey R., Neri A. Álvarez-Villalobos, Suzette Barakat, Humberto de Leon-Gutierrez, Fernando G. Ruiz-Hernandez, Gabriela G. Elizondo-Omaña, et al. 2023. “The Impact of Health and Wellness Coaching on Patient-Important Outcomes in Chronic Illness Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Patient Education and Counseling 117: 107975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2023.107975.