Stress management interventions in the workplace improve stress reactivity

Autor(en)

Heribert Limm, Harald Gündel, Mechthild Heinmüller, Birgitt Marten-Mittag, Urs M Nater, Johannes Siegrist, Peter Angerer

Abstrakt

OBJECTIVE: To examine the long-term effects of a stress management intervention (SMI) based on the effort-reward imbalance (ERI) model, on psychological and biological reactions to work stress.

METHODS: 174 lower or middle management employees (99% male) were randomly assigned to an intervention or a waiting control group. The programme comprised 24 × 45 min group sessions (2 full days followed by two 4 × 45 min sessions within the next 8 months) on individual work stress situations. The primary endpoint was perceived stress reactivity (Stress Reactivity Scale, SRS), while secondary endpoints were salivary cortisol and α-amylase, anxiety and depression, and ERI. Assessments were repeated in 154 participants 1 year later.

RESULTS: SRS score decreased in both groups. A two-factor ANOVA with repeated measures showed a significant time × group effect (F=5.932; p=0.016) with the greater reduction in the intervention group. For SRS, the effect size (Cohen's d) after 1 year was d=0.416 in the intervention and d=0.166 in the control group. α-Amylase as a measure of sympathetic nervous system activation, decreased more strongly in the intervention group (area under the daytime curve and daytime slope: time × group effect p=0.076 and p=0.075). No difference was observed for cortisol. For depression, anxiety and ERI, improvements were higher in the intervention group but did not reach statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS: SMI based on work stress theory, is effective in reducing perceived stress reactivity and sympathetic activation in lower and middle management employees. Other mental health parameters and ERI show a tendency towards improvement. These beneficial effects are present 1 year later.

Organisation(en)

Externe Organisation(en)

Technische Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Universität Zürich (UZH), Universität Ulm, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf

Journal

Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Band

Seiten

126-133

Anzahl der Seiten

ISSN

1351-0711

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.2009.054148

Publikationsdatum

02-2011

Peer-reviewed

ÖFOS 2012

501010 Klinische Psychologie

Schlagwörter

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 3 – Gesundheit und Wohlergehen

Link zum Portal

https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/de/publications/stress-management-interventions-in-the-workplace-improve-stress-reactivity(d32432ed-f51f-4bca-b48a-be5ac83db565).html