Meta Self-Efficacy Internet Intervention to Support Occupational Health in Young Employees: Protocol for Co-Creation and a Randomized Controlled Trial.

backgroundSupporting young employees as they navigate the changing workplace requires focus on personal resources. Although self-efficacy is a key and malleable resource, its context specificity limits its applicability. To address this, we propose to target meta self-efficacy, a construct reflecting an individual's ability to leverage self-efficacy sources (mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, persuasion, and affective and physiological states) to build self-efficacy specific to any challenge and, in turn, safeguard their occupational health.

objectiveThe goal of this study is to co-create (co-creation phase) and verify the efficacy (randomized controlled trial [RCT] phase) of an internet intervention enhancing meta self-efficacy to support the occupational health of young employees.

methodsThe co-creation phase will be based on the participatory approach principle and comprise 4 focus groups, where a total of 24 participants will contribute to meta self-efficacy-enhancing activities and identify needs for the intervention format. After each focus group, a preliminary qualitative analysis will be conducted, and the intervention draft will be refined. To detect an effect size of d=0.25, the RCT will use a 2-arm parallel design with a total sample size of 600 comparing the meta self-efficacy intervention against a placebo. Assessments will be conducted at the posttest time point and 3- and 6-month follow-ups, with work self-efficacy as the primary outcome and job stress, job affective well-being, and work capabilities as secondary outcomes, as well as meta self-efficacy as the manipulation check. Data will be analyzed using linear mixed-effects models following the intention-to-treat approach. The trial will also examine the impact of adherence and engagement on intervention outcomes and compare treatment credibility.

resultsAs of November 20, 2025, a total of 24 participants have been recruited, with 3 of 4 focus groups conducted and the final one to be completed by the end of 2025. RCT recruitment is scheduled to start at the beginning of 2026, with the last follow-up expected by the end of 2026.

conclusionsIn comparison to the placebo control, we expect the intervention to significantly improve young employees' work self-efficacy (primary outcome) and occupational well-being (secondary outcomes). If effective, the meta self-efficacy-enhancing intervention could bolster the ability to cope with various challenges in the health domain and beyond, extending the effect beyond the initial occupational context.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT06944990; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06944990. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/85082.