Timely detection of —and early intervention in— stress signals
to promote organizational and individual resilience
DESTRESS: tackling workplace stress before it’s too late
On September 12, 2024, Amsterdam UMC, in collaboration with public and private partners, launched the groundbreaking national project DESTRESS. This initiative focuses on the early detection of stress in employees. Initiative leader Christiaan Vinkers, psychiatrist and professor of Stress and Resilience at Amsterdam UMC, explains: “At a time when stress levels are reaching unprecedented heights, the consequences for both employees and organizations are enormous. Every year, mental health issues cause millions of sick days and billions in costs, and these figures keep rising. With an innovative approach, we aim to break this pattern. If we can detect stress at an early stage, employees, employers, and occupational health professionals can work together to address it before it’s too late.”
A healthier and more resilient workforce in The Netherlands
Workplace stress can stem from issues both at work and in private life. However, addressing and discussing stress complaints is not always straightforward. As a result, escalating stress often goes unnoticed until it’s too late, sometimes leading to long-term absenteeism. That’s why DESTRESS uses reliable stress indicators, measured via wearables, to identify stress triggers both in personal life and the work environment. “This combination of signals and factors is then relayed back to employees through an application powered by artificial intelligence (AI) in an ethically responsible and secure way,” explains Noortje Wiezer, principal consultant at TNO’s Healthy Living & Work Unit. “This strengthens the dialogue between employees and employers, with support from occupational health professionals where needed. In this way, we prevent stress from escalating and contribute to a healthier and more resilient workforce in the Netherlands.”
Collaboration between science and practice
Over the next 8 years, DESTRESS will be carried out by a multidisciplinary public-private consortium and is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). Researchers, professionals, and people with lived experience will work together with employers, unions, ministries, and professional associations to measure stress signals and develop the application. Occupational health services will also play a crucial role in the project. “To prevent and reduce stress-related absenteeism, we contribute the expertise of our occupational health professionals, anonymized data, and our network of organizations where measurements can be conducted,” says Jurriaan Penders, Director of Medical Affairs at HumanTotalCare. Talitha de Haas, Medical Director at paraDIGMA group, adds: “This collaboration between science and practice is unique. And because we have been involved from the start, we can ensure that the application will be ready for immediate implementation.”
(c) Marc Roos, de Beeldstudio
Working together for change in The Netherlands
On September 12, all partners of the DESTRESS consortium gathered for the first time at the Volkshotel in Amsterdam to celebrate and kick off the project. “In this collaboration, the partners can fully leverage each other’s expertise. Whether it’s determining what is ethically responsible or legally permissible, or measuring stress factors in organizations and employees, we need to work together. That’s why we encouraged knowledge-sharing and built small coalitions during the launch to ensure that people can easily connect with one another,” says Vinkers. To raise public awareness of DESTRESS, podcasts were also recorded during the launch. “My dream is for the entire Dutch workforce to benefit from DESTRESS. That’s why my consortium partners and I are eager to explain in simple terms how they can benefit from it.”
In the animation below, DESTRESS is explained in simple terms (in Dutch):
(c) Youri van der Starre, Studio Starre
In the coming period, we will add more English context, podcasts and videos about the project.
Stay tuned!