ADHD App Rivals In-Person Therapy in Landmark German Study as Workplace Mental Health Costs Top €56 Billion
16.06.2026 - 15:17:16 | boerse-global.de
A digital therapy application for ADHD is matching the results of traditional behavioral therapy, according to a study from Saarland University published in Psychological Medicine in 2026. The app, Attexis, has been covered by Germany’s statutory health insurers since August 2025, and researchers measured similar outcomes across 337 adult participants. The findings arrive as first-time ADHD diagnoses in Germany have climbed sharply since 2015, putting pressure on employers and health systems alike.
The broader workplace mental health picture is stark. The DGB “Gute Arbeit 2025” index reports that 43% of employees regularly work more than eight hours a day. Dr. Elke Ahlers from the WSI think tank warned against government plans to scrap the daily maximum working hours, arguing that such deregulation leads to chronic stress and exhaustion. Meanwhile, the cost of mental disorders to Germany’s healthcare system hit an estimated €56.4 billion in 2020—13% higher than in 2015. Sociologist Laura Wiesböck cautioned that many prevention programmes risk creating a “productivity trap” by placing the burden of mindfulness on the individual rather than fixing structural problems.
In response to the rising demand, new tools are entering the workplace health market. The Berlin-based company nilo (Likenilo GmbH) offers organisations with at least 50 employees access to a B2B SaaS platform linking them to more than 500 psychologists. AI-driven companions support over 50 languages, and the service integrates psychological support directly into daily work. nilo was formed in 2024 through a merger. Separately, the Initiative Gesundheit und Arbeit (iga) released a free web-based training titled “Suchtprävention in der Arbeitswelt” for managers and prevention advisors. The programme runs three modules covering fundamentals, company strategies and handling addiction issues, each taking up to 1.5 hours.
Investors are also betting on digital solutions for burnout. The Dutch health-tech startup OurMind secured €2.1 million in fresh funding yesterday. Its AI platform automates documentation and billing processes for medical staff, aiming to reduce burnout in the healthcare sector. Around 80 physicians participated in the funding round alongside institutional investors.
The push for better mental health support was also recognised at an award ceremony in Frankfurt am Main on 11 June 2026. The Lilly Deutschland Stiftung presented the KONKRET Prize, with first place going to the Between the Lines gGmbH for an app that delivers psychosocial help to children and young people. Other prizes went to AI-assisted projects for Parkinson’s patients and support services for families caring for children with long-term care needs.
Attention now turns to Austria, where the trade union GPA has called a press conference for 22 June in Vienna. It plans to release fresh survey findings on workload and company health promotion across the country.
