Mental Health Apps Implemented in the Workplace: Scoping Review of Trends and Gaps in Evaluation Research

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 apps implemented with workers or within the context of workplaces. This expanding landscape of evidence related to mental health apps underscores the necessity of summarizing and consolidating 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 growing body of evidence evaluating mental health apps with workers. Specific research questions include "What types of mental health apps are studied?" "With whom are they being evaluated?" and "What outcomes are being tracked with what tools?" Methods: The scoping review followed 5 stages: specifying the research question, identifying relevant literature, selecting studies, extracting data, and synthesizing the findings. The search strategy was applied across 6 databases (PsycINFO, Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Database, OVID Healthstar, and OVID Emcare) to identify relevant studies from January 2000 to August 2023. Results: From the 288 abstracts screened, 54 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Over two-thirds of the studies were randomized controlled trials. The studies included 44 different apps, comprising 23 structured self-guided apps, 15 unstructured self-guided apps, and 6 apps designed as adjuncts to other interventions. Evaluation approaches included examining user engagement and utilization, investigating the impact on users, and evaluating the implementation process. Most studies evaluated the impact on individual mental health-related outcomes as well as workplace-related outcomes. Conclusions: This scoping review provides a comprehensive overview of the ways in which studies are currently evaluating workplace mental health apps. The review highlights key trends and gaps in the existing research, noting that most studies focus on the effects of mental health apps on individual users, while only a limited number of studies explore how implementing such dynamic interventions within complex real-world settings (eg, workplaces) may influence their overall effectiveness. Future research should explore the implementation process to identify factors that promote and/or hinder the optimal use and impact of mental health apps for workers.

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