A Brief Cognitive-behavioral Stress Management Program for Secondary School Teachers

Objective: This study aimed to assess the eficacy of a brief cognitive-behavioral program that was designed to reduce the work-related stress levels of secondary school teachers.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used to compare the intervention groups with the wait-list control groups. Seventy teachers from the intervention groups and 54 from the control groups completed a set of validated scales at the baseline and 3–4 wk later. The scales included the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale—Form A, the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Proile II, and the Occupational Stress Inventory Revised Edition.

Results: After controlling for the baseline measures, the intervention groups had significantly lower role stress, personalstrain and overall work-related stress 3–4 wk after the baseline measurements. The intervention groups also had significantly higher stress management behaviors, and less general stress and dysfunctional thoughts than the control groups (all p≤0.05). The levels of dysfunctional thoughts and stress management behaviors significantly predicted general stress after intervention and personal resource deicits. The level of dysfunctional thoughts also predicted the personal strain of work-related stresses (all p<0.05).

Conclusions: The brief program reported in this study was eficacious in reducing the work-related stress of secondary teachers. Teachers experienced less work-related stress after the program, and they reported reduced dysfunctional thoughts and enhanced stress management behaviors. This program may be considered as an initial strategy for teachers todevelop skills to cope with their work-related stress in the short term and could be incorporated with other strategies to achieve longer-term effects.