Abstract
BackgroundThe prevalence of workplace-related stress and anxiety is high, resulting in stress-related physical and mental illness. Digital self-guided interventions aimed at key areas of workplace design may be able to provide remote anxiolytic effects.ObjectiveThe aim of this feasibility study is to assess changes in anxiety and mental well-being after use of the BioBase programme, a mobile phone platform for psycho-educational modules, tools, and real-time feedback of physiological data.MethodsA 4-week observational study was carried out in 55 healthy adults who were screened for stress with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) Stress subscale. Participants completed anxiety (6-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI]) and mental well-being (Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale [WEMWBS]) questionnaires at baseline and at 4 weeks. Feedback questionnaires were administered after 4 weeks.ResultsAfter 4 weeks of using the programme and controlling for any effect of being paid to take part in the study, STAI significantly decreased (baseline mean 45.52 [SD 13.2]; 4-week mean 39.82 [SD 11.2]; t54=–3.51; P<.001; CI –8.88 to –2.52; Cohen d=0.96) and WEMWBS significantly increased (baseline mean 48.12 [SD 6.4]; 4-week mean 50.4 [SD 6.9]; t53=2.41; P=.019; CI 0.44-4.23; Cohen d=0.66). Further, higher baseline stress was significantly associated with a greater decrease in STAI (t53=–3.41; P=.001; CI –8.10 to –2.10; R2=0.180) and a greater increase in WEMWBS (t52=2.41; P=.019; CI 0.38-4.11, R2=0.101). On feedback, participants found the programme easy to use/navigate, with the content being acceptable and relevant to workplace-related stressors; 70% (21/30) of participants would recommend the programme to a friend.ConclusionsThe BioBase programme is a potentially effective intervention in decreasing anxiety and increasing mental well-being, with larger changes in those with higher baseline levels of stress.
Highlights
The workplace can be a major cause of anxiety that leads to depression and burnout [1,2,3,4] as well as stress-related illnesses [5,6]
Many therapist-assisted or guided workplace digital interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing work-related stress [12,16,17,18,19,20,21,22]; these suffer from the limited availability and high cost of more traditional forms of support, and are rarely available to the entirety of the workforce [9]
The content consists of 42 modules designed around 3 courses based on the UK Health & Safety Executive’s (HSE) work stressor dimensions: demands, control, and social support
Summary
The workplace can be a major cause of anxiety that leads to depression and burnout [1,2,3,4] as well as stress-related illnesses [5,6]. Smartphone apps offer a practical, scalable, accessible, and cost-effective solution to promoting employee mental health [11,12,13]. Many therapist-assisted or guided workplace digital interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing work-related stress [12,16,17,18,19,20,21,22]; these suffer from the limited availability and high cost of more traditional forms of support, and are rarely available to the entirety of the workforce [9]. Self-guided digital interventions, which overcome some of these barriers for individuals seeking support, have shown promising results in reducing stress and anxiety [9,23,24]. Digital self-guided interventions aimed at key areas of workplace design may be able to provide remote anxiolytic effects
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