title: Writing about stress: the impact of a stress-management programme on staff accounts of dealing with stress.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helping staff serving clients with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour to cope with stress has implications for their own well-being and for the lives of those they support.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study examined staff members' views of stress and the effectiveness of a stress-management intervention. Effectiveness was assessed using written assignments regarding stress management, and changes in views presented were tested in a pre- and post-test control group design.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first phase, a content analysis was conducted across groups, which revealed that participants expressed a broad variety of views about stress and coping mechanisms, with considerable individual differences. In the second phase, a more fine-grained quantitative analysis was conducted to assess training effectiveness. Results showed an increase in the proportion of coping strategies referred to by the experimental group post-training. This positive change remained at follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the content analysis and the outcome data have implications for staff training.
authors.affiliation: Tranzo, Scientific Center of Care and Welfare, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands; Amarant, Tilburg, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wietske M W J
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: van Oorsouw
authors.forename: Petri J C M
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Embregts
authors.forename: Anna M T
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bosman
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jahoda
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: challenging behaviour; intellectual disabilities; staff; stress management; training