Interview with Dr. Beatriz Olaya

Dr. Beatriz Olaya, lecturer at the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), will be recently interviewed on the Salut Mental radio program Ràdio Llibertad, directed by journalist Ricardo Martín. During the interview, Professor Olaya will present the results of the European project EMPOWER, funded by the Horizon 2020 program of the European Union, of which she will be the main coordinator.

The project, which will end in June 2024 after more than four years of research and in which a total of 13 international institutions will participate, will analyze mental health and implement a digital intervention to promote mental health and well-being in working areas in four European countries: Finland, Poland, Spain and Regne Unit. More than 700 workers will participate in the study: more than half will report high levels of stress, 23% will present symptoms of depression, 14% anxiety, 28% physical symptoms and 12% insomnia. Among the main psychosocial risk factors identified are excessive work load, the need to adapt quickly to organizational changes, poor internal communication and the difficulty in reconciling work and personal life.

As part of the project, a multi-level digital intervention will be developed with a mainly preventive focus: on a band, aimed at managers and directors, and on the other hand, to the workers. The intervention sought to promote psychoeducation on mental health, reduce the stigma associated with psychological disorders in the workplace and offer practical practices to manage stress and anxiety, as well as facilitate the turning of the tide after a time off from work or dealing with physical symptoms. psychological. 

During the interview, stress is highlighted as one of the main risk factors for the development of mental disorders, and the importance of implementing preventive strategies directly in work environments will be highlighted. The results of the intervention will show some promising results, especially in improving insomnia and the level of physical activity among the participants. Furthermore, the project will allow us to better understand who the barriers are and the opportunities to effectively implement prevention and promotion programs for mental health in companies.

The project continues thanks to new financing from the Carles III Institute, with the objective of perfecting the digital intervention of EMPOWER and which will be implemented in Catalan companies starting in the spring of 2026. For more information, you can follow here the complete interview, minutes 31:00–49:27.