OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a work-related stress management program on perceived work-related stress in patients with chronic schizophrenia.

METHOD. A single-blind, randomized crossover design was used. Twenty-nine patients undergoing vocational training while working at paid part-time jobs in a psychiatric center were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of a work-related stress management program followed by 12 weeks of no treatment, or the reverse. The Work-Related Stress Questionnaire for Chronic Psychiatric Patients (WSQP) was developed for this study and used to examine the treatment effect.

RESULTS. The decrease in stress was significantly greater when the participants were undergoing the program compared to the decrease of stress when they were not (t = 2.93, p = .0034, r = .49).

CONCLUSION. The results show that the work-related stress management program had large short-term positive effects on the patients’ perceived work-related stress. These findings support providing this type of program to employed patients with chronic schizophrenia.

Keywords:
schizophrenia, stress management
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Copyright © 2006 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.
2006
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