Effectiveness of Digital and Analog Stress Management Interventions within Occupational Health Management in the Public Sector

Abstract

Stress increases among the working population in Germany. Workplace stress management interventions are therefore becoming increasingly important, especially in the public sector, which has a higher structural risk for work-related stress than other organizations. Currently, face-to-face formats dominate, but promising digital offerings are being developed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a stress management intervention as a face-to-face and self-guided digital format, referring to the Job Demands-Resources Model. The preregistered study applied a randomized control group design in which N = 65 public service employees were assigned to face-to-face training, an online course, or waitlist control group. Participants completed online questionnaires before the intervention, shortly after the intervention, and six weeks later. Although trends for reductions in emotional exhaustion and perceived stress were evident among the intervention groups, mixed analyses of variance showed no interaction effects between the time and group on the outcomes. The main effects showed a significant decrease in stress levels regardless of the group and significant differences between intervention groups, with the online course reporting the lowest stress level. The results indicate that digital and analog stress management interventions can have desired effects within occupational health management. However, many unpredictable events (e.g., illness, vacation during the intervention) seem to influence the effectiveness in the workplace setting, and so further research is needed.

Evaluation of two study demands-resources-based interventions: a randomized controlled trial

“…A total of 253 students enrolled in the study of whom 242 completed the T1 questionnaire (95.7% response rate), 220 completed the T2 questionnaire (9.1% dropout from T1 to T2), and 208 completed the T3 questionnaire (5.5% dropout from T2 to T3). The overall dropout rate was 18.7%, which is relatively low compared to other online interventions, which report adherence rates of about 50% (Kelders et al, 2012) and attrition rates of 40-50% (Bennett and Glasgow, 2009;Kuster et al, 2017) (Bennett and Glasgow, 2009), the burden of high time demands, and uncertainties related to the intervention's content and instructions (Fasthoff et al, 2023). Given that our intervention took place just before the Christmas period and exam season, it is plausible to suggest that the observed dropout could especially be linked to heightened demands and the resultant time constraints.…”

“…The overall dropout rate was 18.7%, which is relatively low compared to other online interventions, which report adherence rates of about 50% ( Kelders et al, 2012 ) and attrition rates of 40–50% ( Bennett and Glasgow, 2009 ; Kuster et al, 2017 ). Previous studies have pinpointed various factors contributing to dropout in online interventions, such as dwindling interest over time ( Bennett and Glasgow, 2009 ), the burden of high time demands, and uncertainties related to the intervention’s content and instructions ( Fasthoff et al, 2023 ). Given that our intervention took place just before the Christmas period and exam season, it is plausible to suggest that the observed dropout could especially be linked to heightened demands and the resultant time constraints.…”

“…Our study utilized two interventions based on the "Einfach weniger Stress [Simply less stress]" (EWS) concept (Paulsen and Kortsch, 2020), which has been tested and certified by the Zentrale Prüfstelle Prävention [Central Examination Office for Prevention] (ZPP; www.zentrale-pruefstelle-praevention.de). 1 The concept has already been successfully applied in the work context (Fasthoff et al, 2023). Initially designed as a face-to-face training, EWS was adapted into an online format to enhance accessibility and increase its reach.…”