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Cited by 28Digital Mental Health InterventionsWorkplace Health and Well-beingStress and Burnout Research

Computer-based versus in-person interventions for preventing and reducing stress in workers

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Kuster, Anootnara Talkul, Dalsbø, Therese K, Luong Thanh, Bao Yen, Agarwal, Arnav, Durand-Moreau, Quentin V, Kirkehei, Ingvild·2017·Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
DOI 10.1002/14651858.cd011899.pub2PMC PMC6483691
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Chronic exposure to stress has been linked to several negative physiological and psychological health outcomes. Among employees, stress and its associated effects can also result in productivity losses and higher healthcare costs. In-person (face-to-face) and computer-based (web- and mobile-based) stress management interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing stress in employees compared to no intervention. However, it is unclear if one form of intervention delivery is more effective than the other. It is conceivable that computer-based interventions are more accessible, convenient, and cost-effective. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of computer-based interventions versus in-person interventions for preventing and reducing stress in workers. SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, NIOSHTIC, NIOSHTIC-2, HSELINE, CISDOC, and two trials registers up to February 2017. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled studies that compared the effectiveness of a computer-based stress management intervention (using any technique) with a face-to-face intervention that had the same content. We included studies that measured stress or burnout as an outcome, and used workers from any occupation as participants. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Three authors independently screened and selected 75 unique studies for full-text review from 3431 unique reports identified from the search. We excluded 73 studies based on full-text assessment. We included two studies. Two review authors independently extracted stress outcome data from the two included studies. We contacted study authors to gather additional data. We used standardised mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to report study results. We did not perform meta-analyses due to variability in the primary outcome and considerable statistical heterogeneity. We used the GRADE approach to rate the quality of the evidence. MAIN RESULTS: Two studies met the inclusion criteria, including a total of 159 participants in the included arms of the studies (67 participants completed computer-based interventions; 92 participants completed in-person interventions). Workers were primarily white, Caucasian, middle-aged, and college-educated. Both studies delivered education about stress, its causes, and strategies to reduce stress (e.g. relaxation or mindfulness) via a computer in the computer-based arm, and via small group sessions in the in-person arm. Both studies measured stress using different scales at short-term follow-up only (less than one month). Due to considerable heterogeneity in the results, we could not pool the data, and we analysed the results of the studies separately. The SMD of stress levels in the computer-based intervention group was 0.81 standard deviations higher (95% CI 0.21 to 1.41) than the in-person group in one study, and 0.35 standard deviations lower (95% CI -0.76 to 0.05) than the in-person group in another study. We judged both studies as having a high risk of bias. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We found very low-quality evidence with conflicting results, when comparing the effectiveness of computer-based stress management interventions with in-person stress management interventions in employees. We could include only two studies with small sample sizes. We have very little confidence in the effect estimates. It is very likely that future studies will change these conclusions.

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  • Web-based mental health interventions are increasingly being used in the work environment.

    “Web-based mental health interventions are increasingly being used in the work environment as they have the advantage of being cost-effective, efficient, anonymous, location-independent, flexible, and empowering. They are regularly used for both prevention and intervention [5-10].”

    From Acceptability of Web-Based Mental Health Interventions in the Workplace: Systematic Review (2022) · cites this paper as [9]

    The Types of interventions section describes web-based stress-management interventions for workers, supporting their use in work settings. The review does not establish that their use is increasing over time. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. Eisen, 2005, Stress management in the workplace: a comparison of a computer-based and a group-based stress management intervention [dissertation]
  2. Dreusicke, 2016, Mindfulness program delivered virtually in the workplace shows correlation between decreased stress and increased productivity, Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 22, A2
  3. Erdman, 2014, Increasing worker engagement and alleviating Teacher Burnout Syndrome (TBS) [Dissertation]
  4. Giardina, 2006, Evaluation of a web-based writing intervention as a means of preventing distress and job burnout among professional helpers [Dissertation/Thesis]
  5. Jonge, 2002, Stress in the Workplace: Australian Master OHS and Environment Guide
  6. Hassard J Teoh K Cox T Dewe P Cosmar M Gründler R Calculating the cost of work-related stress and psychosocial risks - European risk observatory literature review Available from osha.europa.eu/en/tools-and-publications/publications/literature_reviews/calculating-the-cost-of-work-related-stress-and-psychosocial-risks 2014
  7. Maslach, 1996, MBI: The Maslach Burnout Inventory: Manual
  8. The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration Review Manager 5 (RevMan 5) 2014
  9. Rosch, 2001, The quandary of job stress compensation, Health and Stress, 3, 1

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Authors
Kuster, A. T., Dalsbø, T. K., Luong Thanh, B. Y., Agarwal, A., Durand-Moreau, Q. V., & Kirkehei, I.
Affiliations
  • Khon Kaen University (TH)
  • Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NO)
  • Faculty of Public Health, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy; Department of Biostatistics - Demography - Reproductive Health; 06 Ngo Quyen Hue Thua Thien Hue Vietnam 47000
  • University of Toronto (CA)
  • Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Brest (FR)
ORCID
Venue
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2017-08-30
Volume
2017
Issue
8
Pages
CD011899-CD011899
ISSN
  • 1361-6137 (ISSN-L)
  • 1465-1858
DOI
10.1002/14651858.cd011899.pub2
PMC
PMC6483691
OpenAlex
W2750984264
Semantic Scholar
8422a8fe344c423784b266f5eac138dc616079d1
Cited by
28
References
119
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 2
FWCI
0.34
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Workplace Health and Well-being
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Stress and Burnout Research
Keywords
occupational stress, stress management interventions, computer-based intervention, online intervention, mobile-based interventions, in-person intervention, burnout, workplace stress prevention, relaxation training, mindfulness training, intervention delivery mode, workers' mental health, productivity loss, health care costs, cost-effectiveness, small group sessions, workplace health promotion, small sample size, short-term follow-up
MeSH terms
Humans, Occupational Diseases, Patient Education as Topic, Stress, Psychological, Therapy, Computer-Assisted, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Workplace, Sample Size

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