NCT06799403

Stop for Stress - a Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing an Online and a Group-based Format of an Intervention for Work-related Stress

Stop for Stress - En Sammenligning af Online og Gruppebaseret Behandling for Arbejdsrelateret Stress

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 220 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Lea Nørgaard Sørensen · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Work-related stress is a major public health concern, causing sickness absenteeism and impaired health and well-being. Many afflicted with severe work-related stress will not receive evidence-based treatment due to geographical distance, stigma and unwillingness to participate in a group, creating unequality access to healthcare services. Online interventions show comparable effects to face-to-face interventions and have potential to break down some of these barriers. We have developed and pilot tested the online delivery format of the intervention for work-related stress, Stop for Stress, with promising results. In a two-armed, multicentre randomized controlled trial we aim to 1) compare the effect of the online delivery format and an evidence-based face-to-face group-based format and 2) identify markers of enhanced outcomes in each delivery format. The study will include 220 patients with severe work-related stress (110 from each of two centres) who are randomizes 1:1 to the two interventions. Outcomes consist of self-report measures of psychological symptoms, cognitive functioning, sleep, and perceived working environment and register data on ebsenteeism and return-to-work.

Conditions

• Work-Related Stress

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Therapist-assisted online stress management	Participants gain access to an online program comprised by 14 modules covering psychoeducation on stress, sleep, and communication, cognitive behavioral restructuring, and exercises and tools for dealing with stress and preventing relapse. Participants are followed by a therapist providing feedback on exercises and progress. The program extends over approx. 12 weeks.
BEHAVIORAL	Group-based face-to-face stress management	The group-based format consists of 8 sessions of each 3 hours spread across 12 weeks. The sessions cover psychoeducation on stress, sleep, and communication, cognitive behavioral restructuring, and exercises and tools for dealing with stress and preventing relaps. A group includes 8-9 participants

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-03-27
• Primary completion: 2027-01-01
• Completion: 2027-08-01
• First posted: 2025-01-29
• Last updated: 2025-06-17

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: Denmark