Using lifestyle and coping to reduce job stress and improve health in ‘at risk’ office workers

This study assessed the effectiveness of an intervention programme which employed previously identified lifestyle and coping strategies to reduce the subjective experience and effects of work-related stress. Employees (104) working in a government tax office with identified stress-related symptoms were randomized to enter an intervention group (52) or a control group (52). Pre- and post-programme questionnaire assessments of work-related stress, coping strategies, physical health and lifestyle as well as physiological assessments (blood pressure and body mass index) were used to evaluate changes following an 8-week programme implementation phase. The programme comprised four weekly workshops on stress and lifestyle education as well as stress-coping skills training, followed by individual counselling sessions and a personalized action plan. Control group members were offered the same programme after post-programme assessment. There were no statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups for stress and health indicators at post-programme. A 12-week post-intervention follow-up showed reductions in perceived workplace (p<0.01) and home/work (p=0.05) stress. The data suggest that relatively short interventions with individual follow-up can reduce perceptions of stress even where workplace stressors have not changed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.