Qualitative Exploration of a Mobile Stress Management Intervention for Mental Health Workers

A Qualitative Study on the Experiences of Mental Healthcare Workers Using STAPP@Work: A Mobile Self-Management Application to Support Work-Related Stress

The goal of this qualitative intervention study is to explore the experiences of mental healthcare workers using the STAPP@Work app to manage work-related stress. STAPP@Work is a mobile self-monitoring app designed for the workplace, that supports users in recognizing, understanding, and managing daily stress. The app measures stress levels multiple times per day by asking what you were doing, how you were feeling and your stress signals. It offers real-time feedback and a visual overview of stress levels at both the daily and weekly level, including the context. This allows users to recognize their own stress triggers and patterns. In addition, the app provides practical suggestions to help users cope with stress.

The main question this study aims to answer is:

- How do mental healthcare workers experience the use of the STAPP@Work app in daily work life?

Participants will:

• Use the STAPP@Work app for a period of 2 weeks.
• Participate in a semi-structured interview after the use of the intervention to discuss their experiences with the app.

This is a single-group qualitative study. There is no control or comparison group. The findings will contribute to understanding how mobile health interventions can support employees in high-pressure healthcare environments, and provide insight into user experiences, perceived benefits and limitations, and factors that may influence engagement and implementation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Employee at GGz Centraal

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not employed at GGz Centraal
• Prior participation in a STAPP@Work research study