Stress Management in Highway Maintenance Workers

The efficacy of a work-based stress management training program was assessed in highway maintenance workers. Volunteers received training in electromyogram (EMG) biofeedback (n = 17) or muscle relaxation (n = 12) or served as wait-list controls (n = 9). Daily one-hour training sessions were conducted at the workplace for two consecutive workweeks. The biofeedback group showed significant posttraining decreases in forehead EMG levels compared with controls, while decreases found in the muscle relaxation group were not significant. All groups reported significant increases in quality of sleep and in feeling refreshed at work and decreases in subjective tension levels. A three-month follow-up study revealed regression of EMG levels toward baseline in all groups although the percentages of EMG reductions at follow-up were larger for the trained groups than for controls. All groups showed significant improvement on measures of anxiety, somatic complaints, sleep behavior, job satisfaction, and alcohol use. The results support other recent studies indicating the usefulness of work-site stress management programs, although the specificity of training effects and the durability of physiological effects over time remain questionable.