WHO's online stress tool put to the test in dutch workplaces
NCT ID NCT06979089
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study tests whether a free online program from the World Health Organization, called 'Doing What Matters in Times of Stress,' can help reduce anxiety and depression in employees of small and medium-sized Dutch companies. About 518 workers with elevated stress levels will either use the 5-week online program with phone support or continue with their usual care. The goal is to see if this simple, scalable approach can improve mental health and work-related outcomes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Doing What Matters in Times of Stress (DWM) – an online stress management program based on acceptance and commitment therapy
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a simple, scalable online tool to improve mental health and reduce stress for employees in small and medium-sized businesses.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small trial (518 people) testing a low-intensity program. The effects may be modest, and results may not apply to all workplaces or cultures.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 518 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2025
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria (SMEs): * Having 10 to 250 employees * Being located in the Netherlands In case of insufficient recruitment among SMEs, a mitigation strategy is to recruit public and non-profit organizations, and units of larger organizations, all employing between 10 and 250 employees. Inclusion Criteria (Individual participants): * 18 years or older * Having elevated levels of psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale; K10 scores \> 15.9) * Sufficient literacy and mastery (written and spoken) of one of the languages the DWM intervention is being delivered in (i.e., Dutch or English) * Having access to an electronic device with internet access to follow the intervention * Written informed consent before entering the study Exclusion Criteria (Individual participants): * Imminent suicide risk, or expressed acute needs or protection risks that require immediate follow-up * Currently receiving specialized psychological treatment (e.g., EMDR or CBT) at the time of screening * In case of current psychotropic medication use: being on an unstable dose for at least 2 months or a change in dosage over the past 2 months. * Having participated in the preceding ASCEND trial as supervisor (see NCT ID: NCT06989398)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
RECRUITINGAmsterdam, North Holland, 1081 HV, Netherlands
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