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Men with chronic occupational stress benefit from behavioural/psycho-educational group training: a randomized, prospective, controlled trial

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 December 2006

C. NICKEL ,
S. TANCA ,
S. KOLOWOS ,
F. PEDROSA-GIL ,
E. BACHLER ,
T. H. LOEW ,
M. GROSS ,
W. K. ROTHER  and
M. K. NICKEL
C. NICKEL
Affiliation:
Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany
S. TANCA
Affiliation:
Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany
S. KOLOWOS
Affiliation:
Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany
F. PEDROSA-GIL
Affiliation:
Psychosomatic Out-Patient Clinic, LM University, Munich, Germany
E. BACHLER
Affiliation:
Out-patient Therapeutic Family Counselling, Salzburg, Austria
T. H. LOEW
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Clinic, Regensburg, Germany
M. GROSS
Affiliation:
Dr Mueller Clinic for Internal Medicine, Munich, Germany
W. K. ROTHER
Affiliation:
Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine, Inntalklinik, Simbach/Inn, Germany
M. K. NICKEL*
Affiliation:
University Clinic for Psychiatry 1, PMU, Salzburg, Austria Clinic Bad Aussee for Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Graz, Austria
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr Marius Nickel, Clinic Bad Aussee for Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Graz, Sommersbergseestr. 395, 8990 Bad Aussee, Austria. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Overworking is one of the most frequent stressors. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of behavioural/psycho-educational group training in men who are chronically stressed from overworking.

Method

Of 72 male subjects, 36 were randomly assigned to training for 8 weeks and another 36 formed the control group, which received a placebo intervention. Primary outcome measures were systolic blood pressure, salivary cortisol concentration upon awakening, and self-reported changes on the scales of the Trier Inventory for the Assessment of Chronic Stress (TICS), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).

Results

A significant reduction in mean values was observed in daily systolic blood pressure and salivary cortisol concentration on all the TICS and most of the STAXI and SF-36 scales.

Conclusions

Behavioural/psycho-educational group training appears to be effective in the treatment of men suffering from chronic stress due to overworking.

Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 37 , Issue 8 , August 2007 , pp. 1141 - 1149
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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