Evaluating the effect of stress management programmes at the work-site on absenteeism reduction: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: In the European Union, work-related stress affects about one in four workers, and it may be
responsible for the loss of productivity, healthcare consumption and absenteeism. The objective of our study
was to estimate whether stress programmes aimed at managing and preventing work-related stress reduced
the rate of absenteeism.
Methods: We searched electronic databases for relevant articles assisted by hand searching for references.
We included studies that had an experimental or quasi-experimental design, describing an intervention
focused either on the work organisation or on workers’ characteristics as well as reporting a measure of
absenteeism.
Results: The search identified 2520 articles: among these, nine met our inclusion criteria. Stress
management programmes reduced absenteeism shortly after the intervention however in the long term
there was no evidence to support this.
Conclusion: Future studies should evaluate stress management programmes that consist of repeated
interventions over longer periods of time, focusing on effectiveness and relative costs.