Acceptability of Online Mental Health Interventions in the Workplace: A Systematic Review (Preprint)

Abstract

Online interventions are not only proven to be effective in clinical populations but also in the occupational setting. Recent studies conducted in the work environment focus on the effectiveness of these interventions. However, the role of employees’ acceptability of online interventions and programs has not yet enjoyed a similar level of attention.

The objective of this systematic review was to conduct the first comprehensive study on employees’ level of acceptability of online mental health interventions based on direct and indirect measures, outline the utility of different types of online interventions for work-related mental health issues, and build a research-base in the field.

The search was conducted between October 2018 and July 2019 and allowed any study design. Studies used either qualitative or quantitative data sources. Online interventions were generally aimed at supporting employees with their mental health issues. The study characteristics were outlined in a table as well as marked based on their quality with a traffic light schema. Level of acceptability was individually rated with commonly applied methods including percentile quartiles ranging from low to very high.

A total of 1296 studies were identified through multiple database searches and additional resources from which 28 studies were rated to be eligible for the synthesis. Results of employees’ acceptability levels were mixed and studies very heterogenous in design, intervention characteristics, and population. Ten studies outlined a very high acceptability level while other ten studies reported a moderate to low level of acceptability. Qualitative studies also provided insights into barriers and preferences including simple and tailored application tools as well as the preference for non-stigmatized language. However, there were multiple flaws in the methodology of studies such as for instance blinding of participants and personnel.

The results outline the need for further research with more homogenous acceptability studies to draw a final conclusion. However, the underlying results show that there is a tendency for general acceptability of online interventions in the workplace, with findings of general applicability to the use of online mental health interventions.