Preferences for a Mental Health Support Technology Among Chinese Employees: Mixed Methods Approach

BACKGROUND: Workplace mental health is under-studied in China, making it difficult to design effective interventions. To encourage the engagement with interventions, it is crucial to understand employees’ motivation toward seeking help through technologies. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understanding how Chinese employees view digital mental health support technology and how mental health support technology could be designed to boost the motivation of Chinese employees to use it. METHODS: A mixed methods approach was used. In total, 458 Chinese employees (248/458, 54% female) in 5 industries (manufacturing, software, medical, government, and education) responded to a survey, and 14 employees and 5 managers were interviewed. RESULTS: Government data and employee responses showed that mental health support in China is limited. In the workplace, Chinese employees experience a lower sense of autonomy satisfaction compared with competence and relatedness. Although managers and employees try to empathize with those who have mental health issues, discrimination and the stigma of mental illness are rife in Chinese workplaces. Digital technologies are perceived as a potential medium for mental health interventions; however, privacy is a major concern. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrated the potential of self-help digital mental health support for Chinese employees. Interdisciplinary cooperation between design engineers and mental health researchers can contribute toward understanding the issues that engage or disengage users with digital mental health interventions.