VU professors Marit Sijbrandij (Clinical Psychology) and Mark van Vugt (Organisational Psychology) examine the effects of the digitised work environment on employees' mental health, with a focus on enhancing mental resilience.
The research is part of the ADVANCE project which is funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme. Mental health problems such as depression and anxiety affect half the workforce in Europe. This affects not just the individual employee, but can also lead to higher absenteeism rates and reduced productivity in the workplace.
Disadvantages of digitalisation
The Netherlands is one of the most digitised countries in Europe with regard to the work environment, and remote work became increasingly prevalent during the COVID-19 crisis. In addition to the advantages in terms of flexibility, remote work may also have drawbacks, particularly reduced social engagement, isolation, digital stress, and exhaustion, which can lead to mental health issues.
This 5-year research project evaluates the effectiveness of two types of interventions within small and medium enterprises in the Netherlands. First, a leadership training course, developed by the WHO (World Health Organization), is being implemented to increase managers' knowledge and competence in recognising and addressing employees' mental health complaints. Second, the effectiveness of a digital stress management programme for employees is being investigated.
The implementation of these interventions takes place within the MentaalFit initiative. More information about the interventions is available here (in Dutch), and the initiative’s progress can be followed on LinkedIn.
The project is a collaboration between researchers from Clinical Psychology (Marit Sijbrandij and Anke Witteveen) and Organisational Psychology/Amsterdam Leadership Lab (Mark van Vugt and Sanne Feenstra).
