Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of primary or secondary stress management interventions versus waiting list or no treatment control in working populations not already diagnosed with a major psychiatric disorder or stress-related somatic disorder were eligible for inclusion in the review. Studies of employee assistance programmes were excluded from the review.
Studies included in the review mostly assessed secondary stress management interventions. Most interventions involved multiple components and were conducted in a group training environment. Commonly used techniques included relaxation, meditation and cognitive-behavioural skills training. Other interventions were individual counselling, self help using the Internet, tapes or books and a combination of techniques. Average duration of the interventions was 7.4 weeks with a mean of 7.5 treatment sessions. Included participants were office workers, maintenance workers, teachers, hospital staff, factory workers and social services staff. Two thirds of studies were carried in USA; the other studies were carried out in countries such as Australia, Canada, China, Israel, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland and UK. Where reported, mean age of included participants was 35.4 years and 59% were female. Sixty different outcomes were reported in the studies; these included psychological (stress, anxiety, general mental health, work satisfaction), physiological (systolic and diastolic blood pressure) and organisational measures (absenteeism, productivity). Psychological outcomes were measured using a wide variety of scales, mostly self-report.
The authors did not state how papers were selected for the review.