title: Effects of a stress management program for hospital staffs on their coping strategies and interpersonal behaviors.
abstract: The present study examined effects of a 3-h stress management program for Japanese hospital staffs that included relaxation and assertion training. Twenty-seven hospital staffs (mean age: 29.4 yr) in a stress management group and 28 hospital staffs (mean age: 29.5 yr) in a wait-list group answered evaluation surveys at both pre- and post-intervention. Self-administered questionnaires including items on job stress, coping strategies, and interpersonal behaviors were evaluated. The stress management program was given six different participant groups: 3 groups were the stress management group and 3 groups were the wait-list group. The program increased active coping and decreased dependent behavior scores significantly in the stress management group, while decreasing assertive behavior scores in the wait-list group. A comparison of the education sub-groups showed that the first group had significantly increased assertiveness and decreased dependency scores. The second group had significantly decreased depression-anxiety scores. The data analyzed for men and women separately showed the stress management intervention significantly improved active coping and assertive behavior in men and dependent behavior in women. A brief one-time stress management program can be effective in improving active coping and assertive behaviors as well as reducing dependent behavior in hospital staffs. Sex differences were noteworthy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan. k-umi@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirokawa
authors.forename: Toshiyo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.forename: Norito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawakami
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001242:Assertiveness; D001519:Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D016272:Occupational Health; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*