A Technology-Assisted Telephone Intervention for Work-Related Stress Management: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. 2022

Salla Tuulikki Muuraiskangas, and Anita Marianne Honka, and Ulla-Maija Junno, and Hannu Olavi Nieminen, and Jouni Kalevi Kaartinen
Smart Health, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Oulu, Finland.

Stress management interventions combining technology with human involvement have the potential to improve the cost-effectiveness of solely human-delivered interventions, but few randomized controlled trials exist for assessing the cost-effectiveness of technology-assisted human interventions. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a technology-assisted telephone intervention for stress management is feasible for increasing mental well-being or decreasing the time use of coaches (as an approximation of intervention cost) while maintaining participants' adherence and satisfaction compared with traditional telephone coaching. A 2-arm, pilot randomized controlled trial of 9 months for stress management (4-month intensive and 5-month maintenance phases) was conducted. Participants were recruited on the web through a regional occupational health care provider and randomized equally to a research (technology-assisted telephone intervention) and a control (traditional telephone intervention) group. The coaching methodology was based on habit formation, motivational interviewing, and the transtheoretical model. For the research group, technology supported both coaches and participants in identifying behavior change targets, setting the initial coaching plan, monitoring progress, and communication. The pilot outcome was intervention feasibility, measured primarily by self-assessed mental well-being (WorkOptimum index) and self-reported time use of coaches and secondarily by participants' adherence and satisfaction. A total of 49 eligible participants were randomized to the research (n=24) and control (n=25) groups. Most participants were middle-aged (mean 46.26, SD 9.74 years) and female (47/49, 96%). Mental well-being improved significantly in both groups (WorkOptimum from "at risk" to "good" Â>0.85; P<.001), and no between-group differences were observed in the end (Â=0.56, 95% CI 0.37-0.74; P=.56). The total time use of coaches did not differ significantly between the groups (366.0 vs 343.0 minutes, Â=0.60, 95% CI 0.33-0.85; P=.48). Regarding adherence, the dropout rate was 13% (3/24) and 24% (6/25), and the mean adherence rate to coaching calls was 92% and 86% for the research and control groups, respectively; the frequency of performing coaching tasks was similar for both groups after both phases; and the diligence in performing the tasks during the intensive phase was better for the research group (5.0 vs 4.0, Â=0.58, 95% CI 0.51-0.65; P=.03), but no difference was observed during the maintenance phase. Satisfaction was higher in the research group during the intensive phase (5.0 vs 4.0, Â=0.66, 95% CI 0.58-0.73; P<.001) but not during the maintenance phase. The technology-assisted telephone intervention is feasible with some modifications, as it had similar preliminary effectiveness as the traditional telephone intervention, and the participants had better satisfaction with and similar or better adherence to the intervention, but it did not reduce the time use of coaches. The technology should be improved to provide more digested information for action planning and templates for messaging. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02445950; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT02445950.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D010865 Pilot Projects Small-scale tests of methods and procedures to be used on a larger scale if the pilot study demonstrates that these methods and procedures can work. Pilot Studies,Pilot Study,Pilot Project,Project, Pilot,Projects, Pilot,Studies, Pilot,Study, Pilot
D003376 Counseling The giving of advice and assistance to individuals with educational or personal problems.
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000073397 Occupational Stress Adverse psychological and behavioral reactions caused by the pressures and demands of employers or clients or other factors, such as the physical environment of the workplace, WORKPLACE VIOLENCE; or WORKPLACE BULLYING. Job Control,Job Demands,Work Stress,Workplace Abuse,Job Stress,Job-related Stress,Professional Stress,Work Place Stress,Work-related Stress,Workplace Bullying,Workplace Stress,Abuse, Workplace,Bullying, Workplace,Demand, Job,Job Demand,Job Stresses,Job related Stress,Job-related Stresses,Occupational Stresses,Professional Stresses,Stress, Job,Stress, Job-related,Stress, Occupational,Stress, Professional,Stress, Work,Stress, Work Place,Stress, Work-related,Stress, Workplace,Stresses, Workplace,Work Place Stresses,Work Stresses,Work related Stress,Work-related Stresses,Workplace Abuses,Workplace Stresses
D013672 Technology The application of scientific knowledge to practical purposes in any field. It includes methods, techniques, and instrumentation. Industrial Arts,Arts, Industrial
D013689 Telephone An instrument for reproducing sounds especially articulate speech at a distance. (Webster, 3rd ed) Switchboard Service,Service, Switchboard,Services, Switchboard,Switchboard Services,Telephones
D016032 Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic Works about clinical trials that involve at least one test treatment and one control treatment, concurrent enrollment and follow-up of the test- and control-treated groups, and in which the treatments to be administered are selected by a random process, such as the use of a random-numbers table. Clinical Trials, Randomized,Controlled Clinical Trials, Randomized,Trials, Randomized Clinical

Related Publications

Salla Tuulikki Muuraiskangas, and Anita Marianne Honka, and Ulla-Maija Junno, and Hannu Olavi Nieminen, and Jouni Kalevi Kaartinen
August 2018, International archives of occupational and environmental health,
Salla Tuulikki Muuraiskangas, and Anita Marianne Honka, and Ulla-Maija Junno, and Hannu Olavi Nieminen, and Jouni Kalevi Kaartinen
February 2020, Journal of public health (Oxford, England),
Salla Tuulikki Muuraiskangas, and Anita Marianne Honka, and Ulla-Maija Junno, and Hannu Olavi Nieminen, and Jouni Kalevi Kaartinen
September 2016, American journal of preventive medicine,
Salla Tuulikki Muuraiskangas, and Anita Marianne Honka, and Ulla-Maija Junno, and Hannu Olavi Nieminen, and Jouni Kalevi Kaartinen
September 2017, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health,
Salla Tuulikki Muuraiskangas, and Anita Marianne Honka, and Ulla-Maija Junno, and Hannu Olavi Nieminen, and Jouni Kalevi Kaartinen
May 2015, Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association,
Salla Tuulikki Muuraiskangas, and Anita Marianne Honka, and Ulla-Maija Junno, and Hannu Olavi Nieminen, and Jouni Kalevi Kaartinen
February 2013, Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education,
Salla Tuulikki Muuraiskangas, and Anita Marianne Honka, and Ulla-Maija Junno, and Hannu Olavi Nieminen, and Jouni Kalevi Kaartinen
September 2011, The Journal of nervous and mental disease,
Salla Tuulikki Muuraiskangas, and Anita Marianne Honka, and Ulla-Maija Junno, and Hannu Olavi Nieminen, and Jouni Kalevi Kaartinen
September 2021, Journal of medical Internet research,
Salla Tuulikki Muuraiskangas, and Anita Marianne Honka, and Ulla-Maija Junno, and Hannu Olavi Nieminen, and Jouni Kalevi Kaartinen
March 2008, Drug and alcohol dependence,
Salla Tuulikki Muuraiskangas, and Anita Marianne Honka, and Ulla-Maija Junno, and Hannu Olavi Nieminen, and Jouni Kalevi Kaartinen
March 2017, JMIR mHealth and uHealth,
Copied contents to your clipboard!