Universal, selective and indicated interventions for supporting mental health at the workplace: an umbrella review of meta-analyses

Clara Miguel*, Arpana Amarnath, Aemal Akhtar, Aiysha Malik, Gergo Baranyi, Corrado Barbui, Eirini Karyotaki, Pim Cuijpers

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalReview articleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

The current umbrella review aimed to assess and summarise evidence on universal, selective and indicated interventions for mental health at the workplace. This umbrella review forms one of the evidence reviews which were commissioned by the WHO to develop global guidelines on mental health at work. We conducted systematic searches in five bibliographic databases (PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane and Global Medicus Index) and included meta-analyses of randomised trials examining psychosocial, physical activity and lifestyle interventions delivered to all general workers (universal interventions), at-risk workers (selective interventions) and workers already experiencing symptoms of mental disorders (indicated interventions). We included outcomes from seven domains: symptoms of mental health conditions, positive mental health, quality of life, work-related outcomes, substance use, suicide-related outcomes and potential adverse effects. We identified 16 meta-analyses producing 66 pooled effect sizes of the examined interventions, mostly on symptoms of mental health conditions (n=43 pooled effect sizes) (eg, burnout, insomnia, stress) and positive mental health (n=15) (eg, well-being). Most of the evidence on universal, selective and indicated interventions was focused on psychosocial interventions, showing small to moderate effects across the various outcomes. Certainty levels according to GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) were low to very low in almost all of the examined outcomes. The results of existing meta-analyses are promising for the use of preventative and early treatment interventions in the workplace. However, the quality and certainty of the evidence were very modest, and further research on the effectiveness of these interventions is warranted.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)225-236
Number of pages12
JournalOccupational and Environmental Medicine
Volume80
Issue number4
Early online date24 Feb 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© World Health Organization 2023. Licensee BMJ.

Keywords

  • mental health
  • meta-analysis
  • occupational health

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