Background Web-based interventions have proven to be effective not only in clinical populations but also in the occupational setting. Recent studies conducted in the work environment have focused on the effectiveness of these interventions. However, the role of employees’ acceptability of web-based interventions and programs has not yet enjoyed a similar level of attention. Objective The objective of this systematic review was to conduct the first comprehensive study on employees’ level of acceptability of web-based mental health interventions based on direct and indirect measures, outline the utility of different types of web-based interventions for work-related mental health issues, and build a research base in the field. Methods The search was conducted between October 2018 and July 2019 and allowed for any study design. The studies used either qualitative or quantitative data sources. The web-based interventions were generally aimed at supporting employees with their mental health issues. The study characteristics were outlined in a table as well as graded based on their quality using a traffic light schema. The level of acceptability was individually rated using commonly applied methods, including percentile quartiles ranging from low to very high. Results A total of 1303 studies were identified through multiple database searches and additional resources, from which 28 (2%) were rated as eligible for the synthesis. The results of employees’ acceptability levels were mixed, and the studies were very heterogeneous in design, intervention characteristics, and population. Approximately 79% (22/28) of the studies outlined acceptability measures from high to very high, and 54% (15/28) of the studies reported acceptability levels from low to moderate (overlap when studies reported both quantitative and qualitative results). Qualitative studies also provided insights into barriers and preferences, including simple and tailored application tools as well as the preference for nonstigmatized language. However, there were multiple flaws in the methodology of the studies, such as the blinding of participants and personnel. Conclusions The results outline the need for further research with more homogeneous acceptability studies to draw a final conclusion. However, the underlying results show that there is a tendency toward general acceptability of web-based interventions in the workplace, with findings of general applicability to the use of web-based mental health interventions.

BACKGROUND Online interventions are not only proven to be effective in clinical populations but also in the occupational setting. Recent studies conducted in the work environment focus on the effectiveness of these interventions. However, the role of employees’ acceptability of online interventions and programs has not yet enjoyed a similar level of attention. OBJECTIVE The objective of this systematic review was to conduct the first comprehensive study on employees’ level of acceptability of online mental health interventions based on direct and indirect measures, outline the utility of different types of online interventions for work-related mental health issues, and build a research-base in the field. METHODS The search was conducted between October 2018 and July 2019 and allowed any study design. Studies used either qualitative or quantitative data sources. Online interventions were generally aimed at supporting employees with their mental health issues. The study characteristics were outlined in a table as well as marked based on their quality with a traffic light schema. Level of acceptability was individually rated with commonly applied methods including percentile quartiles ranging from low to very high. RESULTS A total of 1296 studies were identified through multiple database searches and additional resources from which 28 studies were rated to be eligible for the synthesis. Results of employees’ acceptability levels were mixed and studies very heterogenous in design, intervention characteristics, and population. Ten studies outlined a very high acceptability level while other ten studies reported a moderate to low level of acceptability. Qualitative studies also provided insights into barriers and preferences including simple and tailored application tools as well as the preference for non-stigmatized language. However, there were multiple flaws in the methodology of studies such as for instance blinding of participants and personnel. CONCLUSIONS The results outline the need for further research with more homogenous acceptability studies to draw a final conclusion. However, the underling results show that there is a tendency for general acceptability of online interventions in the workplace.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and beyond for many businesses, employees have had to adapt to new ways of working due to disruptions in traditional practices. It is therefore crucial to understand the new challenges that employees are facing when it comes to taking care of their mental wellbeing at work. To that end, we distributed a survey to full-time UK employees (N = 451) to explore how supported they felt throughout the pandemic, and to identify whether there are any additional types of support they would like to receive. We also compared employees’ intentions to seek help before versus during the COVID-19 pandemic, and assessed their current attitudes toward mental health. Based on direct employee feedback, our results show remote workers felt more supported throughout the pandemic compared to hybrid workers. We also found that employees who had previously experienced an episode of anxiety or depression were significantly more likely to want extra support at work compared to those who had not. Furthermore, employees were significantly more likely to seek help for their mental health during the pandemic compared to before. Interestingly, the largest increase in intentions to seek help during the pandemic compared to before was with digital health solutions. Finally, we found that the strategies managers have adopted to better support their employees, an employee's mental health history, and their attitude to mental health all contributed to significantly increasing the likelihood that an employee would disclose a mental health concern to their line manager. We provide recommendations that encourage organisations to make changes to better support their employees, and we highlight the importance of mental health awareness training for both managers and employees. This work is of particular interest to organisations who are looking to tailor their current employee wellbeing offer to a post-pandemic world.

The link between socioeconomic position and mental health is well established. On the macro level, one important determinant of this relationship is the welfare state. As such, welfare systems play an important role in mitigating the adverse effects of poor socioeconomic conditions and improving the mental health of the population. Despite their significance, welfare systems and their impact on mental health have rarely been examined. In this scoping review, we set out to synthesise the available evidence on this subject and offer preliminary evidence on how different welfare systems shape the mental health of societies. Eight databases were searched for articles published between January 2000 and March 2022 that focused on mental health and welfare regimes or welfare expenditure and compared OECD and EEA countries. The final review included 30 studies. Findings were summarised using narrative synthesis. Welfare systems were shown to have a significant relationship with the mental health of the population, with Social Democratic regimes and countries with more generous social expenditures demonstrating superior outcomes on most measures. It is suggested that a key factor behind these positive outcomes is the way in which these countries deal with social inequality. However, the overall composition of the included articles was highly heterogeneous and scattered across several domains. Moreover, important confounding factors such as differences in GPD across countries were often not taken into account. Therefore, the quality of the current evidence is considered weak. Further, questions are raised regarding the specific mental health benefits and drawbacks of welfare generosity for different populations and the specific pathways through which these systems may improve mental health in society. The review highlights the need for a more robust evidence base in this area and emphasises the importance of addressing the macro-level determinants of mental health.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and beyond for many businesses, employees have had to adapt to new ways of working due to disruptions in traditional practices. It is therefore crucial to understand the new challenges that employees are facing when it comes to taking care of their mental wellbeing at work. To that end, we distributed a survey to full-time UK employees (N = 451) to explore how supported they felt throughout the pandemic, and to identify whether there are any additional types of support they would like to receive. We also compared employees’ intentions to seek help before versus during the COVID-19 pandemic, and assessed their current attitudes toward mental health. Based on direct employee feedback, our results show remote workers felt more supported throughout the pandemic compared to hybrid workers. We also found that employees who had previously experienced an episode of anxiety or depression were significantly more likely to want extra support at work compared to those who had not. Furthermore, employees were significantly more likely to seek help for their mental health during the pandemic compared to before. Interestingly, the largest increase in intentions to seek help during the pandemic compared to before was with digital health solutions. Finally, we found that the strategies managers have adopted to better support their employees, an employee’s mental health history, and their attitude to mental health all contributed to significantly increasing the likelihood that an employee would disclose a mental health concern to their line manager. We provide recommendations that encourage organisations to make changes to better support their employees, and we highlight the importance of mental health awareness training for both managers and employees. This work is of particular interest to organisations who are looking to tailor their current employee wellbeing offer to a post-pandemic world.