According to a meta-analysis of 72 studies, occupational health promotion programs associated with lower levels of absenteeism and healthcare costs - the most widely validated program being the Abbreviated Progressive Relaxation Training (APRT). APRT is relaxation training conducted by a group leader in 2-minute "mini-relaxations." Research shows APRT is:
- Effective in reducing perceived stress and physiologically measured stress.
- Good for reducing perceived stress equivalent to that of employees taught 20-minute APRT
- More likely to encourage practicing relaxation exercise 1 month after training


Boston University

Stress reduction in the workplace can be done through group-based (instructor-lead) or computer-based (computer-presented format) intervention. However, compliance is more problematic in computer-based intervention since there is limited human supervision online, while individuals in clinician-guided mental health experienced greater improvement and satisfaction than computer-guided groups.

Group-based vs. Computer-based Stress-management Intervention

Eisen, K. P., Allen, G. J., Bollash, M., & Pescatello, L. S. (2008). Stress management in the workplace: A comparison of a computer-based and an in-person stress-management intervention. Computers in Human Behavior, 24(2), 486–496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2007.02.003


Stress management in the workplace: A comparison of a computer-based and an in-person stress-management intervention

Computerized interventions can meet needs of numerous employees at a cost between 1/3 and 1/6 less than traditional behavioral therapy. They provide services that:
* Are available 24 hours a day  
* Don't require scheduling coordination or travel time
* Do not force ambivalent individuals to meet face-to-face w others 
* Are self-paced 
* Have potential to reach high number of individuals 
* Foster a sense of independence 
* Highly cost effective 

Method 2: Using computers in stress-management interventions



Method 1: Worksite stress-management interventions


Stress-management workplace intervention is identical for individuals in CB (computer-based) and IP (traditional in-person based) groups, included training in abbreviated progressive relaxation, discussion of time management techniques, and homework assignments encouraging participants to practice variety of stress-reducing activities. Both interventions take place over 2 week time periods.


Implementing Stress-management Intervention in the Workplace

Attrition refers to the loss of participants during a study. This is a particularly significant issue in longitudinal research, where dropout rates are often high and tend to increase as the study progresses over time. Participants may leave a study for numerous reasons, including major life events like moving, marriage, illness, or death, or they may simply decide to stop participating. This reduction in participants can threaten a study's validity, introduce bias, and weaken the power of its statistical conclusions.

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