What is it about?
This article reviews and combines results from 34 randomized controlled studies (with 5,318 employees) on digital resilience interventions for working populations (e.g., web- or smartphone-based programs). It examines whether these interventions improve work engagement, reduce burnout, and support mental health. Overall, the review found small positive effects after the interventions for work engagement, lower mental distress, and better positive mental health. Effects for burnout were not significant overall, and some benefits became smaller over time at follow-up.
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Why is it important?
Work-related stress is common, and digital interventions are attractive because they can be flexible, scalable, and easier to access than many face-to-face formats. This review provides a stronger evidence base by focusing on randomized trials in working populations. At the same time, the paper shows an important practical message: digital resilience training can help, but it is not enough on its own. For more sustainable improvements in workplace outcomes, organisations likely need to combine individual support with structural measures (e.g., leadership, working conditions, team and organisational factors). The review also highlights a research gap: too few studies measured work-related, team-level, or organisational outcomes.
Perspectives
Our review shows that digital resilience interventions can make a meaningful contribution to employees’ mental health and work engagement, especially in the short term. But resilience at work is not only an individual issue. If we want lasting effects, organisations must also create supportive working conditions—through healthy leadership, team support, and structural prevention. Digital tools are a promising part of the solution, but they should complement, not replace, organisational responsibility
Prof. Dr. Thomas Rigotti
Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR) and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Digital interventions to foster resilience in working populations – a systematic review and meta-analysis, Work & Stress, February 2026, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/02678373.2026.2618071.
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