Improving Stress and Positive Mental Health at Work via an App-Based Intervention: A Large-Scale Multi-Center Randomized Control Trial

Silvana Weber, Christopher Lorenz, Nicola Hemmings, Silvana Weber, Christopher Lorenz, Nicola Hemmings

Abstract

Mobile health interventions (i.e., "apps") are used to address mental health and are an increasingly popular method available to both individuals and organizations to manage workplace stress. However, at present, there is a lack of research on the effectiveness of mobile health interventions in counteracting or improving stress-related health problems, particularly in naturalistic, non-clinical settings. This project aimed at validating a mobile health intervention (which is theoretically grounded in the Job Demands-Resources Model) in preventing and managing stress at work. Within the mobile health intervention, employees make an evidence-based, personalized, psycho-educational journey to build further resources, and thus, reduce stress. A large-scale longitudinal randomized control trial, conducted with six European companies over 6 weeks using four measurement points, examined indicators of mental health via measures of stress, wellbeing, resilience, and sleep. The data were analyzed by means of hierarchical multilevel models for repeated measures, including both self-report measures and user behavior metrics from the app. The results (n = 532) suggest that using the mobile health intervention (vs. waitlist control group) significantly improved stress and wellbeing over time. Higher engagement in the intervention increased the beneficial effects. Additionally, use of the sleep tracking function led to an improvement in sleeping troubles. The intervention had no effects on measures of physical health or social community at work. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed, focusing on benefits and challenges of using technological solutions for organizations to support individuals' mental health in the workplace.

Keywords: RCT; digital health; mental health; mobile health intervention; smartphone app; stress; work.

Copyright © 2019 Weber, Lorenz and Hemmings.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Development of (A) General Stress (scale 1–5), (B) Cognitive Stress (scale 1–5), (C) Sleeping Troubles (scale 1–5), (D) Wellbeing (scale 1–5), and (E) Resilience (scale 1–7) over time from T1 to T4 (intervention phase from T1 to T3, follow-up from T3 to T4) depending on experimental group (app group vs. waitlist control). Error bars represent 95% confidence limits.

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