Mental Stress and Strain Assessment in Digital Work

Abstract. When digitalizing work, organizations face the challenge of
analyzing, evaluating, and mitigating a potential increase in mental workload for
employees and managers. This paper presents an instrument to assess mental stress and
strain in digital work contexts and the related development process and validation. Based
on a literature and instrument review and an interview study, we developed an assessment
instrument and validated it in two coordinated studies (N = 245,
N = 279), ultimately resulting in an instrument with 139 items: 27
items addressing demographic aspects and 112 items dispersed over five categories (work
task and activity, workflow and organizing, work environment, organizational climate, and
personal attitude). To demonstrate the instrument’s validity, we calculated a
structural equation model based on the framework of the job demands-resources model. The
resulting instrument is comprehensive and can also be applied by HR nonprofessionals.