Stress-Recovery Management: A Pilot Study Using a Single-Subject Experimental Design

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health Psychology
• Behavioral Medicine

Background:

• Work-related stress is a major health and safety concern in the European Union.
• Adequate recovery between stress episodes is crucial for managing its impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a brief, individual-based stress-recovery management intervention.
• To determine if the intervention reduces stress symptoms in individuals with high perceived stress.

Main Methods:

• A single-subject experimental design with multiple baselines across three participants was employed.
• Continuous self-monitoring of stress symptoms and standardized self-report inventories were used.

Main Results:

• The intervention demonstrated a temporal relationship with reduced stress symptoms, showing moderate experimental control.
• Significant beneficial changes were observed in perceived stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, and insomnia.
• These improvements were maintained at 1-year and 5-year follow-up assessments.

Conclusions:

• A behaviorally oriented, individual stress-recovery management intervention can effectively reduce stress symptoms in highly stressed individuals.
• The positive effects are sustained long-term.
• Further research is recommended for definitive conclusions.