Using lifestyle and coping to reduce job stress and improve health in 'at risk' office workers

This study assessed the effectiveness of an intervention programme which em ployed previously identified lifestyle and coping strategies to reduce the subjective experience and effects of work-related stress. Employees (104) w orking in a government tax office with identified stress-related symptoms w ere randomized to enter an intervention group (52) or a control group (52). Pre- and post-programme questionnaire assessments of work-related stress, coping strategies, physical health and lifestyle as well as physiological a ssessments (blood pressure and body mass index) were used to evaluate chang es following an 8-week programme implementation phase. The programme compri sed four weekly workshops on stress and lifestyle education as well as stre ss-coping skills training, followed by individual counselling sessions and a personalized action plan. Control group members were offered the same pro gramme after post-programme assessment. There were no statistically signifi cant differences between the intervention and control groups for stress and health indicators at post-programme. A 12-week post-intervention follow-up showed reductions in perceived workplace (p < 0.01) and home/work (p = 0.0 5) stress. The data suggest that relatively short inter ventions with indiv idual follow-up can reduce perceptions of stress even where workplace stres sors have not changed. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.