@Article{info:doi/10.2196/48481,
author="Freund, Johanna
and Smit, Filip
and Lehr, Dirk
and Zarski, Anna-Carlotta
and Berking, Matthias
and Riper, Heleen
and Funk, Burkhardt
and Ebert, David Daniel
and Buntrock, Claudia",
title="A Universal Digital Stress Management Intervention for Employees: Randomized Controlled Trial with Health-Economic Evaluation",
journal="J Med Internet Res",
year="2024",
month="Oct",
day="22",
volume="26",
pages="e48481",
keywords="economic evaluation; cost-effectiveness; cost-utility; cost-benefit; return-on-investment; employees; universal prevention; internet-based; stress management",
abstract="Background: Stress is highly prevalent and known to be a risk factor for a wide range of physical and mental disorders. The effectiveness of digital stress management interventions has been confirmed; however, research on its economic merits is still limited. Objective: This study aims to assess the cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and cost-benefit of a universal digital stress management intervention for employees compared with a waitlist control condition within a time horizon of 6 months. Methods: Recruitment was directed at the German working population. A sample of 396 employees was randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=198) or the waitlist control condition (WLC) group (n=198). The digital stress management intervention included 7 sessions plus 1 booster session, which was offered without therapeutic guidance. Health service use, patient and family expenditures, and productivity losses were self-assessed and used for costing from a societal and an employer's perspective. Costs were related to symptom-free status (PSS-10 [Perceived Stress Scale] score 2 SDs below the study population baseline mean) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained. The sampling error was handled using nonparametric bootstrapping. Results: From a societal perspective, the digital intervention was likely to be dominant compared with WLC, with a 56{\%} probability of being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) of {\texteuro}0 per symptom-free person gained. At the same WTP threshold, the digital intervention had a probability of 55{\%} being cost-effective per QALY gained relative to the WLC. This probability increased to 80{\%} at a societal WTP of {\texteuro}20,000 per QALY gained. Taking the employer's perspective, the digital intervention showed a probability of a positive return on investment of 78{\%}. Conclusions: Digital preventive stress management for employees appears to be cost-effective societally and provides a favorable return on investment for employers. Trial Registration: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00005699; https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00005699 ",
issn="1438-8871",
doi="10.2196/48481",
url="https://www.jmir.org/2024/1/e48481",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/48481"
}