DO WORKSITE STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS ATTRACT THE EMPLOYEES WHO NEEDTHEM AND ARE THEY EFFECTIVE

Employees who planned to attend a worksite stress management program ( volunteers), those who planned not to attend (nonvolunteers), and thos e who had participated in worksite stress management training were ass essed on the variables of work stressors, perceived stress, and organi zational spontaneity (extra-role) behavior Twelve hundred hospital emp loyees were randomly selected from seven VA hospitals that had been of fering a stress management program for at least 5 years. Participants received questionnaire packets in the mail and 461 (38%) of the employ ees responded. The results showed that volunteers reported significant ly more perceived stress than the nonvolunteers. However volunteers di d not report greater frequency or intensity of work stressors, Also, r espondents who had participated in past stress training reported less perceived stress than volunteers and significantly more organizational spontaneity behavior than respondents who had not participated in pas t stress training. These findings suggest that employees who plan to a ttend stress training have the greatest need and that the stress inter vention reduces perceived stress levels and, possibly, affects work be havior.