The Mediating Role of General and Cognitive Stress on the Effect of an App-Based Intervention on Productivity Measures in Workers: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Loss of productivity is a result of absence from work (absenteeism) or of working with limitations due to illness (presenteeism). Recently, occupational mental health interventions have increasingly been delivered in digital format, as this is thought to be more convenient, flexible, easily accessible, and anonymous. However, the effectiveness of electronic mental health (e-mental health) interventions in the workplace to improve presenteeism and absenteeism remains unknown, and could be potentially mediated by psychological variables such as stress levels. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an e-mental health intervention to reduce absenteeism and presenteeism in employees, as well as to investigate the mediating role of stress in this effect. METHODS: Employees of six companies in two countries participated in a randomized controlled trial (n=210 in the intervention group and n=322 in the waitlist control group). Participants in the intervention group could use the Kelaa Mental Resilience app for 4 weeks. All participants were asked to complete assessments at baseline, during the intervention, postintervention, and at a 2-week follow-up. Absenteeism and presenteeism were assessed by means of the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire: General Health, while general and cognitive stress were assessed through the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire-Revised Version. Regression and mediation analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of the Kelaa Mental Resilience app on presenteeism and absenteeism. RESULTS: The intervention did not have a direct effect on presenteeism or absenteeism, neither at postintervention nor at follow-up. Nevertheless, general stress significantly mediated the intervention effect on presenteeism (P=.005) but not on absenteeism (P=.92), and cognitive stress mediated the effect of the intervention on both presenteeism (P<.001) and absenteeism (P=.02) right after the intervention. At the 2-week follow-up, the mediating effect of cognitive stress on presenteeism was significant (P=.04), although this was not the case for its mediating effect on absenteeism (P=.36). Additionally, at the 2-week follow-up, general stress did not mediate the intervention effect on presenteeism (P=.25) or on absenteeism (P=.72). CONCLUSIONS: While no direct effect of the e-mental health intervention on productivity was found in this study, our findings suggest that stress reduction could mediate the effect of the intervention on presenteeism and absenteeism. As such, e-mental health interventions that address stress in employees might also indirectly reduce presenteeism and absenteeism in these employees. However, due to study limitations such as an overrepresentation of female participants in the sample and a high proportion of attrition, these results should be interpreted with caution. Future research is needed to better understand the mechanisms of interventions on productivity in the workplace. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05924542; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05924542.

The individual development of cultural identity and psychological well-being among adolescents with a migrant background in Austria: A longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVES: Research has shown that cultural identity and psychological well-being are associated. We suggest that negative stereotypes challenge the psychological well-being of people with a migrant background. This research focused on the dynamics of adolescents' ethnic/racial identity (ERI), national identity, stereotype vulnerability, and psychological well-being on the individual level. The study was conducted in Austria over the course of one school year, providing insights on developmental implications of cultural identity for adolescents with a migrant background in Europe. METHODS: The sample consisted of 317 (T1) adolescents with a migrant background, recruited at Austrian high schools (age: M = 15.19, SD = 1.11; 233 female; ethnic background: mainly Turkey and Ex-Yugoslavian countries). Longitudinal data from a three-wave study were analyzed by means of a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model. RESULTS: Within-person effects provided a better explanation than the between-person approach. Within-person processes suggest that higher levels of ERI commitment and higher national identity predict higher levels of psychological well-being at a later time point, whereas higher levels of ERI exploration and higher stereotype vulnerability predict lower levels of psychological well-being. At the between-person level, findings indicate a positive correlation between ERI exploration and stereotype vulnerability. CONCLUSION: The cultural identity and psychological well-being of adolescents with a migrant background fluctuate over time, influenced by the social context. Stereotype vulnerability contributes to lower levels of psychological well-being among adolescents with a migrant background in Austria. Our findings highlight the necessity to partition the variance of constructs to avoid confounding of between-person and within-person effects. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Overburden soil and marine dredging sludge utilization for production of new composites as highly efficient environmental management.

The main objectives of this study were to develop new composites only from industrial wastes: overburden soil (40-60 wt%), dredging sludge from marine port sediments (20-40%) and lime production waste as a binder (15-30%). The axial resistance strength of the developed materials, on the 365th day, was 18.9 MPa and the values of apparent density and dilatation coefficient ranged from 2.69 to 3.14 g/cm³ and from 0.14 to 1.56%, respectively. Water absorption values after 90 days of cure varied between 8.9 and 15.1% and water resistance coefficient reached 1.17. They can be used for the production of construction materials such as tiles, bricks, and blocks, as road base and airfield runways, dam cores, industrial and municipal waste dumps bases, building foundations. The studies of the developed material, by the methods of XRD, AAS, SEM, EDS, DTA - DTG, tomographic mapping of the chemical elements and isotopic composition (LAMMA), demonstrated the synthesis of new formations, mainly amorphous, with small inclusions of crystalline structures. Results of leaching and solubility tests by the AAS method showed the full ecological compatibility of the developed materials with the environmental standards of Brazil.

Improving Stress and Positive Mental Health at Work via an App-Based Intervention: A Large-Scale Multi-Center Randomized Control Trial.

Mobile health interventions (i.e., "apps") are used to address mental health and are an increasingly popular method available to both individuals and organizations to manage workplace stress. However, at present, there is a lack of research on the effectiveness of mobile health interventions in counteracting or improving stress-related health problems, particularly in naturalistic, non-clinical settings. This project aimed at validating a mobile health intervention (which is theoretically grounded in the Job Demands-Resources Model) in preventing and managing stress at work. Within the mobile health intervention, employees make an evidence-based, personalized, psycho-educational journey to build further resources, and thus, reduce stress. A large-scale longitudinal randomized control trial, conducted with six European companies over 6 weeks using four measurement points, examined indicators of mental health via measures of stress, wellbeing, resilience, and sleep. The data were analyzed by means of hierarchical multilevel models for repeated measures, including both self-report measures and user behavior metrics from the app. The results (n = 532) suggest that using the mobile health intervention (vs. waitlist control group) significantly improved stress and wellbeing over time. Higher engagement in the intervention increased the beneficial effects. Additionally, use of the sleep tracking function led to an improvement in sleeping troubles. The intervention had no effects on measures of physical health or social community at work. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed, focusing on benefits and challenges of using technological solutions for organizations to support individuals' mental health in the workplace.

Lift Me Up by Looking Down: Social Comparison Effects of Narratives.

Stories are a powerful means to change recipients' views on themselves by being transported into the story world and by identifying with story characters. Previous studies showed that recipients temporarily change in line with a story and its characters (assimilation). Conversely, assimilation might be less likely when recipients are less identified with story protagonists or less transported into a story by comparing themselves with a story character. This may lead to changes, which are opposite to a story and its characters (contrast). In two experiments, we manipulated transportation and experience taking via two written reviews (Experiment 1; N = 164) and by varying the perspective of the story's narrator (Experiment 2; N = 79) of a short story about a negligent student. Recipients' self-ratings in comparison to others, motives, and problem-solving behavior served as dependent variables. However, neither the review nor the perspective manipulation affected transportation or experience taking while reading the story. Against our expectations, highly transported recipients (in Study 1) and recipients with high experience taking (in Study 2) showed more persistency working on an anagram-solving task, even when controlling for trait conscientiousness. Our findings are critically discussed in light of previous research.

The influence of stereotype threat on immigrants: review and meta-analysis.

In many regions around the world students with certain immigrant backgrounds underachieve in educational settings. This paper provides a review and meta-analysis on one potential source of the immigrant achievement gap: stereotype threat, a situational predicament that may prevent students to perform up to their full abilities. A meta-analysis of 19 experiments suggests an overall mean effect size of 0.63 (random effects model) in support of stereotype threat theory. The results are complemented by moderator analyses with regard to circulation (published or unpublished research), cultural context (US versus Europe), age of immigrants, type of stereotype threat manipulation, dependent measures, and means for identification of immigrant status; evidence on the role of ethnic identity strength is reviewed. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.