Working adults

Digital and remote work environments may lead to mental health problems such as technostress, physical health problems, harmful use of substances or alcohol, and to absenteeism and loss of motivation and productivity among both workers and managers. The transformation to digital work has been particularly challenging for SMEs, since they have few resources to deal with the unintended consequences of digital transformation.

Working adults in highly digitalised work environments

The Netherlands is one of the European countries with the most highly digitalised work environments. Digital and remote work environments, along with the associated demands for flexibility, accessibility and transparency in the 24-economy are associated with unintended negative consequences such as reduced social connectedness, increased loneliness, information overload and mental fatigue (e.g. dealing with constant interruptions), and technological incompetence leading to feelings of loss of control and inefficacy.

Managers have a key role in the prevention of mental ill-health in the work environment since they can reduce sources of stress, promote a supportive and safe work environment, and de-stigmatise mental health problems when they occur. Second, effective scalable strategies to prevent mental-ill health among workers including stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout among workers in the increasingly digitalised society are highly needed.

Under the program name "MentaalFit", the Dutch team of ADVANCE will examine the benefits of WHO's manager training for mental health (ASCEND), followed by a stress management skills intervention for employees (Doing What Matters in times of stress; DWM). 

Meet the team in The Netherlands

Interventions to be studied

ASCEND: Advancing Supervisor Capabilities for Mental Health at Work

ASCEND is not yet openly accessible, but through our collaboration with WHO, we will be able to conduct the first trial-based evaluation of this intervention.

A group of women in the middle of a discussion led by a lady in a corporate suit

Doing What Matters in times of stress (DWM)

Doing What Matters in times of stress (DWM) is a smartphone-based intervention, delivered over five weeks with a trained facilitator. It teaches strategies for handling daily stress through mindfulness and relaxation exercises.

An elderly women wearing red holding a phone