How Well We Know Wellness: Closing the Gap on Wellness Program Research in the Workplace

Abstract

This research brings together a systematic literature review, topic modelling, and qualitative analysis in a novel, mixed method approach to synthesize research on workplace wellness interventions and offer directions for future research. First, we conducted a systematic literature review to create a collection, or corpus, of 5,674 research publications on wellness intervention research. Next, topic modelling, a quantitative machine learning technique that identifies key topics, was deployed to extract and investigate trends within the corpus. Finally, abstracts were qualitatively coded according to a framework that examined the trends across: 1) which journal outlets and disciplines are publishing workplace wellness intervention research; 2) the different types of wellness interventions that are studied in workplaces; 3) dependent variables measured as outcomes of wellness interventions, and any reported mechanisms or program theory linking the intervention to the outcomes; 4) the methodologies utilized by researchers and their corresponding rigour; and 5) the context the research takes place within. Interestingly, despite the growing recognition that wellness is a multi-dimensional concept, ‘wellness’ is increasingly operationalized using primarily psychological outcomes. Other trends depicted a lack of consistency in research design, program theory, and results making it difficult to specify how or why a program is beneficial for a specific population and setting and the extent to which results were reliable.