Mental health apps have limited efficacy.
There is an emerging consensus that apps for employee mental health and wellbeing aren’t as effective as once touted. In fact, only a few of more than 10,000 mental health and behavioral health apps on the market have been tested by science. Studies in peer-reviewed journals mHealth and Harvard Health have found limited efficacy for apps as a solution to improve mental health challenges on their own.
Mental health apps miss the mark by ignoring the stressors that arise from the workplace itself. A study from researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health found major gaps in the market for apps that assess and create organizational solutions to mitigate common workplace factors harming wellbeing such as grueling schedules, changing shifts, and high job demands, among factors.
Most individual-interventions miss the mark.
Beyond apps, individual-level interventions (like coaching, time-management, and resilience courses) are common investments made by many well-intentioned organizations. Unfortunately, the efficacy of these solutions aren’t supported by research—with the exception of charity or volunteer work.
One study from an Oxford researcher looked at 90 different types of popular workplace interventions—from digital wellness solutions, mindfulness, and resilience training to courses in time management and financial health. He found that workers who participated in these solutions were no better off than colleagues who did not. Some interventions even had a negative effect on employee wellbeing.
So what should employers do?
Employers who want to make a meaningful difference in their workplace need to shift
their core approach to focus on culture change. This type of approach addresses the root cause of employee mental health and wellbeing challenges: work itself.
A culture change approach to employee wellbeing can look different depending on the
size, industry, culture, and many other factors that are unique to your organization.
To help you get started, we share our research-backed framework, and three key steps to culture change in a free guide.
You don't have to figure it out alone.
Mind Share Partners has worked with national and global retailers to equip their people with the knowledge and skills to support mental health at work. When you partner with Mind Share Partners, you will get a custom strategy and true partner to guide you along the way. We listen to your employees and use national benchmark data to prioritize results, and will help you develop key leadership skills specific to your workplace and industry.
Contact us to schedule your free strategy call.
About Mind Share Partners
Mind Share Partners is a nonprofit that is changing the culture of workplace mental health so that both employees and organizations can thrive. We help employers create mentally healthy workplaces through consulting and training and are building a national movement to change the landscape around work. Challenges like anxiety, burnout, and depression are not just an individual employee’s responsibility. They’re a collective responsibility. That’s why our time-tested approach hinges on changing company culture—and using an equity lens to do so.
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