Individual Health Management (IHM) for Stress-A Randomised Controlled Trial (TALENT II Study)

Background/Objectives: Stress is a pervasive modern challenge that contributes to serious health problems and affects a significant proportion of the population. This study examines whether an Individual Health Management (IHM) programme incorporating elements of traditional Chinese medicine is effective in reducing stress. Methods: Participants experiencing stress were enrolled in a monocentric randomised controlled trial. The intervention group received the IHM programme and was monitored for 12 months. After six months, a primary comparison was conducted with a waitlist control group, who then also received the intervention. Additional crossover analyses were employed. The main outcome measure was the change in subjective stress (as measured by the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, PSQ) from baseline after six months. Secondary outcomes included further parameters related to stress and mental load. Results: The intervention group achieved normal stress levels, with a 41% reduction, while the control group experienced a 9% reduction. The adjusted mean difference in PSQ scores between the two groups was -21.02 (95% CI: -27.34, -14.70), accounting for baseline values and gender. This is the ANCOVA result for the ITT population at the 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes also improved significantly. Conclusions: The IHM has multiple moderate to strong effects on mental health, resulting in clinically normal distress scores that can persist for up to one year.