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Review
. 2017 May 25;59(3):215-236.
doi: 10.1539/joh.16-0227-RA. Epub 2017 Mar 17.

Web-based interventions for the management of stress in the workplace: Focus, form, and efficacy

Cathal Ryan  1 , Michael Bergin  1 , Trudie Chalder  2 , John Sg Wells  3
Affiliations
Review

Web-based interventions for the management of stress in the workplace: Focus, form, and efficacy

Cathal Ryan et al. J Occup Health. .

Abstract

Objectives: This review sought to determine what is currently known about the focus, form, and efficacy of web-based interventions that aim to support the well-being of workers and enable them to manage their work-related stress.

Method: A scoping review of the literature as this relates to web-based interventions for the management of work-related stress and supporting the psychological well-being of workers was conducted.

Results: Forty-eight web-based interventions were identified and reviewed, the majority of which (n = 37) were "individual" -focused and utilized cognitive-behavioral techniques, relaxation exercises, mindfulness, or cognitive behavior therapy. Most interventions identified were provided via a website (n = 34) and were atheoretical in nature.

Conclusions: There is some low-to-moderate quality evidence that "individual" -focused interventions are effective for supporting employee well-being and managing their work-related stress. There are few web-based interventions that target "organizational" or "individual/organization" interface factors, and there is limited support for their efficacy. A clear gap appears to exist between work-stress theory and its application in the design and development of web-based interventions for the management of work-related stress.

Keywords: CBT; Mindfulness; Web-based interventions; Work-Stress Theory; Workplace Stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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