Workplace Health Promotion: mHealth as a Preventive Mediator Between Psychosocial Workplace Characteristics and Well-Being at Work

Abstract

AbstractHigh levels of mental work stress have significant implications for employees and employers. Epidemiological studies consistently show links between high levels of work stress and self-reported mental and physical health problems, including depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, helping employees to cope with mental stress is becoming more and more important. The present study examines the mediating influence of mobile health (mHealth) technology use on the relationship between psychosocial workplace characteristics and employee well-being. The investigated sample consisted of 2946 employed working adults from four different countries (United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia) who used a mHealth application between 2019 and 2021. The results indicate a positive indirect relationship between psychosocial workplace characteristics, mHealth use, and employee well-being, suggesting that mHealth use can have a positive impact on employee well-being and help them cope with psychosocial demands at work. The results further suggest an influence of gender and age. In the long term, mHealth technologies may provide support in everyday work to help manage psychosocial demands.KeywordsMental stressPsychosocial demandsEmployee well-beingmHealth