JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Technology-based solutions to support the mental health needs of workers are on the rise, as evidenced by the growing body of research related to e-mental health applications (apps) implemented with workers or within the context of workplaces. This expanding landscape of evidence related to mental health apps underscores the necessity to summarize and consolidate the different ways in which studies are evaluating real-world technology-based interventions in a complex setting such as a workplace.

Objective:

The aim of this scoping review is to summarize the body of evidence regarding evaluation of mental health apps with workers or at workplaces. Specifically, this review will outline the current trends and gaps across the outcomes commonly assessed in studies evaluating digital mobile mental health interventions with workers.

Methods:

The scoping review followed the five stages outlined in Arksey and O’Mally’s framework combined with Levac's recommendations. The search strategy was applied across seven databases to identify relevant studies from inception to August 2023.

Results:

From the 288 abstracts screened, 54 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. The studies assessed apps in three ways: 1. Examining user engagement and utilization of the app 2. Investigating the effects of the app on users, and 3. Evaluating the implementation process. Most studies primarily evaluated the impact on individual mental health related outcomes as well as on workplace-related outcomes. A limited number of studies evaluated the implementation process and its relation to the overall effectiveness of the application for workers.

Conclusions:

This scoping review provides a comprehensive overview of the ways in which studies are currently evaluating workplace mental health apps. The review highlights notable trends and gaps in the existing studies where majority of the studies focused on assessing the effects of mental health apps on individual users with a gap in assessing the ways in which the implementation of a dynamic intervention such as a mobile app in a complex workplace setting could interact and influence the overall effectiveness of the app. Future research needs to delve deeper in understanding the implementation process and consider evaluation methods that are in congruence with the goals of the intervention.