Stress management training for the elderly: a psychoeducational approach.
A procedure is described for teaching elderly persons the use of relaxation as a coping skill. The procedure, called Stress Management Training, seeks to provide the client with: 1) a cognitive understanding of stress and relaxation, 2) the ability to relax by controlling muscle tension and sympathetic-nervous-system activity, and 3) the ability to extend the relaxation skill to real-life stress situations. A case report demonstrates the process, which is an educational model rather than a medical model. The role of the psychotherapist as an educator and the potential usefulness of the social learning theory as a basis for conceptualizing mental health problems are discussed.
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D012064:Relaxation Therapy / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D013315:Stress, Psychological