Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41945900›Full record

ArticleJMIR human factors2026

Use of Digital Peer Support for Employee Well-Being: Retrospective Analysis Across Five Large Employers.

Farbod Sedaghati, Anya Stetsenko, Ilayda Ozsan McMillan, Harpreet Nagra, Zara Dana

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR human factors, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Farbod SedaghatiSupportiv, Berkeley, CA, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8134-6641
Anya StetsenkoSupportiv, Berkeley, CA, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9442-1020
Ilayda Ozsan McMillanSupportiv, Berkeley, CA, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2265-5852
Harpreet NagraSupportiv, Berkeley, CA, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5334-8655
Zara DanaSupportiv, Berkeley, CA, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1952-6304

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAnonymous, 24/7 digital peer support (DPS) offers a scalable solution to support employees' emotional well-being. Understanding sociobehavioral factors, such as timing of engagement and the impact of shared resources, can help employers and employee assistance programs (EAPs) integrate digital tools to better support workforce well-being.

objectiveThis study examines (1) outcomes via overall sentiment changes among DPS users; (2) sociobehavioral differences between employees who accessed real-time, anonymous DPS during versus outside business hours; (3) differences in sentiment outcomes based on time of use; and (4) the impact of in-session resource sharing on sentiment improvement.

methodsUsing OpenAI's large language model (LLM) GPT-4o-mini with a few-shot learning approach, 24,818 anonymous chat conversations from 13,879 employees at 5 large employers were evaluated for subclinical sentiment variables, including loneliness, sadness, stress, anxiety, depression, despair, helplessness, and optimism.

resultsDistinct activity patterns were observed between employees during and outside business hours, with a median user age of 36 years. During business hours, employees reported higher baseline stress (Δ1.6%), whereas outside business hours, baseline depression (Δ1.7%) and loneliness (Δ1.2%) were higher. After DPS use, LLM-derived negative sentiment scores decreased (loneliness 46% reduced, sadness 45%, stress 46%, anxiety ~39%, depression ~40%, despair ~40%, and helplessness ~38%), and optimism increased (~77%). Outside business hours, users engaged more (~68% of all sessions), remained in sessions 19% longer, and discussed 13% more topics, whereas users during business hours reported greater improvements in depression (Δ2.3%), helplessness (Δ1.9%), and loneliness (Δ0.5%). Resource sharing was associated with greater improvements in loneliness (Δ2.9%), stress (Δ1.3%), anxiety (Δ1.9%), depression (Δ7.3%), despair (Δ3.0%), helplessness (Δ2.8%), and optimism (Δ8.8%), but not sadness.

conclusionsDPS complements employers' EAPs by addressing employee engagement gaps, reducing barriers to mental health care, and promoting emotional well-being among the workforce.

Indexed as

Peer GroupSocial SupportAdultFemaleHumansPsychological Well-BeingRetrospective Studiesdigital peer supportemployee assistance programsemployee benefitsemployee wellnessworkforce well-being

Identifiers

PMID41945900
PMCPMC13148127

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.