STRESS MANAGEMENT AND INNOVATION INTERVENTIONS AT WORK

A study among health-care workers is reported where a traditional stre ss management program (n = 66) was compared with an intervention promo ting innovation at work as a form of stress management (n = 52), and a control group (n = 84). Measures relating to both the process of part icipation in the respective interventions, and outcome in terms of psy chological well-being were taken. The traditional program, emphasizing cognitive-behavioral and arousal reduction techniques, was associated with improvements in general psychological strain and job satisfactio n. The intervention promoting innovative responses to stressors (e.g., changing work methods, modifying working relations with colleagues) w as associated with improvements in work-related stress, and innovation . Statistical analysis suggested session process variables, in additio n to the theoretical orientations of the respective interventions, wer e associated with outcome variance. Follow-up data, 1 year post-interv ention, suggested short-term gains on outcome variables relating to ps ychological well-being were not maintained. However, increases in leve ls of innovation, although not apparent post-intervention (3 months), were significant after 1 year. It is concluded that stress management research should focus more on process variables, and that intervention s promoting innovation at work, show some promise in addressing occupa tional strain.