The effectiveness and practicality of occupational stress management interventions: a survey of subject matter expert opinions

J Occup Health Psychol. 1997 Jul;2(3):247-62. doi: 10.1037//1076-8998.2.3.247.

Abstract

Stress management (SM) subject matter experts (SMEs) evaluated 6 widely used occupational SM interventions (relaxation, physical fitness, cognitive restructuring, meditation, assertiveness training, and stress inoculation) on the basis of 10 practicality criteria and 7 effectiveness objectives. Relaxation was evaluated overall as the most practical intervention, while meditation and stress inoculation were judged as the least practical. Physical fitness was chosen to be the most effective intervention, while both meditation and assertiveness training were rated overall as the least effective. The findings also revealed that the SMEs considered history of success and duration of effect, rather than "relevance to program objectives," as the most important factors when selecting SM interventions. Incongruence between effectiveness ratings and actual choices of interventions are discussed.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Occupational Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Occupational Diseases / psychology
  • Occupational Health Services*
  • Physical Fitness / psychology
  • Relaxation Therapy
  • Risk Factors
  • Somatoform Disorders / prevention & control*
  • Somatoform Disorders / psychology
  • Stress, Psychological / complications*
  • Stress, Psychological / prevention & control
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Workload / psychology*