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This paper reports findings from a project which evaluated two forms of individual psychotherapy for 40 managerial/professional workers seeking help for clinically severe job‐related distress. In order to throw light upon the paradox suggested by previous research that psychotherapeutic techniques differ in their content but are quite similar in outcome, these clients suffering from clinical levels of psychiatric symptoms, received eight sessions of Prescriptive (cognitive/behavioural) and eight sessions of Exploratory (relationship‐oriented) therapy in a crossover design, with each client seeing the same therapist throughout. At three‐month follow‐up results showed a reduction in distress to within the normal range in three‐quarters of clients. Results favoured Prescriptive therapy for reduction of overall symptoms, but showed no difference between therapies for the relief of job‐related problems. It is argued that treating individuals suffering from acknowledged distress is perhaps a more useful way of approaching stress management than the preventive group work for non‐stressed subjects usually reported. In addition the paper considers the types of job‐related problems presented by clients seeking help.
Firth et al. (Sun,) studied this question.