WHAT FACTORS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUTCOME OF INDIVIDUAL-FOCUSED WORKSITE STRESS MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS

There is a need to understand more of the factors governing the effect iveness of individual-focused stress management interventions in the w orkplace. This article examines research contrasting different approac hes to stress management. It is argued that due to design and methodol ogical limitations in the majority of studies, a new generation of res earch is required which (a) delineates clearly between interventions o f differing technical content; (b) includes session process measures t o help distinguish the degree of outcome variance associated with spec ific and non-specific factors; (c) focuses on the moderators of change enabling greater understanding of the circumstances in which a partic ular stress management intervention is appropriate; and, (d) examines the mediators of change thereby increasing our understanding of the ps ychological mechanisms underpinning outcome change. A framework is pro posed to help guide future research into these issues.