Effects of a brief worksite stress management program on coping skills, psychological distress and physical complaints: a controlled trial

Objectives: To examine the effects of single-session, small-group stress management program on knowledge about stress, coping skills, and psychological and physical distress. Methods: A total of 300 employees from a company in western Japan were invited to participate in the study. Those who consented to enter the study were assigned to an intervention (n=149) or waiting list control group (n=151). Participants in the intervention group received a small-group stress management program. The program was primarily aimed at increasing knowledge about stress and improving coping skills. To investigate the intervention effect, change scores in outcome variables were calculated by subtracting the scores at pre-intervention from those at post-intervention (8 weeks after the pre-intervention survey). Next, the difference in the scores between groups was examined using analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) with the pre-intervention score as the covariate. Results: Favorable intervention effects were found on knowledge about stress and on coping skills (P<0.001 and P=0.012, respectively) and adverse effects on psychological distress (P=0.022). However, this adverse effect on psychological distress did not exist among those who initially perceived higher levels of job control. Conclusion: The single-session stress management program was effective on improving knowledge about stress, and coping skills, where job control moderated the effect of the program on psychological distress.