Open AccessEffects of Stress Management Program for Teachers in Japan: A Pilot Study
Author(s) -
Shimazu Akihito,
Okada Yusuke,
Sakamoto Mitsumi,
Miura Masae
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of occupational health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 59
ISSN - 1348-9585
DOI - 10.1539/joh.45.202
Subject(s) - psychoeducation , social support , coping (psychology) , stress management , anger , clinical psychology , intervention (counseling) , psychology , medicine , anxiety , physical therapy , anger management , psychiatry , social psychology
Effects of Stress Management Program for Teachers in Japan: A Pilot Study: Akihito Shimazu, et al. Department of Psychology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Education —The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a stress management program for teachers on their stress responses, social support, and coping. Participants (n=24) were assigned to either an intervention or a waiting list control group. A five‐session program, including psychoeducation, group discussion, role‐playing and relaxation training, was conducted for the intervention group at two week intervals. Eight participants from each of the groups responded to preand post‐intervention questionnaire surveys. The positive intervention effect was significant for social support from co‐workers (p=0.035), whereas the negative intervention effect was significant for proactive coping (p=0.033). No significant effect was observed for stress responses (vigor, anger, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and somatic stress responses) (p>0.05). The positive intervention effect was marginally significant for social support from co‐workers (p=0.085) and anger (p=0.057) among those who at first had high stress response scores in the pre‐intervention survey (n=5 and n=4 for the intervention and waiting list control groups, respectively). Furthermore, the positive intervention effect was significant for social support from co‐workers (p=0.021) and marginally significant for resignation coping (p=0.070) among those who at first had high job control scores (n=4 and n=5 for the intervention and waiting list control groups, respectively). Results showed that the stress management program conducted in this study contributed to increasing social support from coworkers. This study suggests that a program that focuses on a particular subgroup (e.g., those with high stress responses or high job control) might be effective in enhancing coping skills, increasing social support, and reducing stress responses.