Wellness screenings are one of the most effective ways to mitigate the negative effects of content moderation. But new findings from TaskUs’ Wellness & Resiliency Division of Research reveal that just conducting screenings isn’t enough. How they’re done ultimately determines their effectiveness.
The risk to content moderators and the business
The nature of exposure can take an emotional toll on content moderators. Risks include developing secondary traumatic stress and experiencing burnout due to the nature of the content, the role’s high demand for sustained focus and need for empathy. The psychological impacts on teams also impact the business — lower performance, increased absenteeism and accelerated attrition. These effects result in higher costs for hiring, training and lost productivity.
Our Trust & Safety team’s latest research study identifies the most effective ways to conduct wellness screenings and reports on the positive impact.
Traditional vs. AI-based screening: A comparative study
Traditional, paper-pencil psychometric surveys are a cost-effective, efficient method to gather large-scale insights into moderators' psychological health. But repeatedly answering the same standardized questions can lead to participant fatigue, recall bias and disengagement over time.
AI-powered chatbots are a newer alternative. They are more dynamic and interactive and can be easily scaled across large teams.
To compare the outcomes and effectiveness of the two methods, our research team conducted a controlled study. Minimizing bias, they randomly assigned moderators to one of two groups: psychometric surveys or AI screening.
The first group completed digital forms of standardized psychometric surveys. The second group interacted with an AI chatbot, either responding to voice and facial expression analysis or typing answers to digital surveys addressing various psychological concerns.
Key findings
Contrary to expectations, the psychometric survey group outperformed the AI screening group across all metrics.
Participants also shared why they prefer traditional methods better. One moderator expressed discomfort with video recordings, explaining, “Personally, I’m not comfortable being recorded while taking the test with the chatbot. I’d rather type my responses so I have enough time to think through my answers. I’m also shy about expressing my thoughts out loud. Sometimes I get a mental block.”
Another moderator cited relatability: “You can picture yourself in the situation while reading the (psychometric survey) statements. It feels more realistic. That made me feel better and helped me think about what I could have done differently in that situation.”
“As a content moderator, it’s helpful to have this kind of regular assessment — a form that, in a way, understands our work,” according to one participant. “It asks about our experiences and the things that might be affecting our mental health… and I felt like my mindset was becoming more stable, less anxious.”
3 insights for building effective wellness programs
Designing wellness programs that genuinely support content moderators starts with understanding what makes them feel safe, seen and supported. Based on our study, here are three key principles for building programs that work:
1. Prioritize psychological safety: Interactive or recorded AI assessments can feel intrusive, especially when touching on sensitive topics. Traditional psychometric surveys offer a greater sense of confidentiality that’s critical when discussing mental health.
2. Conduct screening to promote emotional regulation: Regardless of format, consistent check-ins give moderators space to reflect, become more aware and work towards self- care.
3. Engage with thoughtful design: Traditional surveys may seem static, but using rotating question sets, visual response options or light gamification can make them engaging while preserving trust and psychological safety.
Our conclusion: Wellness tools don’t need to be flashy to be effective. What matters most is creating a trusted, consistent experience that prioritizes moderators’ comfort and emotional needs. When businesses get this right, they see better results.
