New forms of collaboration challenge traditional leadership structures, increasingly rely on collective self-organization, and are a core component of current New Work approaches. But how does this affect the mental health of employees? This presentation summarizes the results of a scoping review that analyzed 47 empirical studies (2010–2024) on the health opportunities and risks of new forms of collaboration.

The findings show that New Work practices strengthen key work-related resources, particularly autonomy, social support, and trust. These resources are demonstrably associated with higher satisfaction, motivation, and well-being. Thus, New Work holds great potential for promoting mental health. At the same time, a number of qualitative studies point to overstrain, role conflicts, and diffuse responsibilities when self-organization is poorly structured or not culturally supported. The health effects therefore depend crucially on the type of implementation.

Based on key evidence, the presentation demonstrates how New Work can be designed to promote health and provides concrete guidelines for organizations wishing to introduce or further develop collective self-organization, agility, or shared leadership. The aim is to understand New Work not as a trend, but as a deliberately designable setting for mental health.