Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a depression prevention program based on stress inoculation training (SIT) for workers of two private companies, by means of a randomized controlled trial. Method: Ninety three workers of two private companies were assigned to intervention and control groups, and two sessions were conducted in the intervention group of each company at an interval of four weeks. The sessions included lectures on responses to stress and coping skills, problem-solving training, cognitive restructuring training, relaxation, group discussions and self-monitoring. After completing the sessions, two follow-up letters were sent to the participants at two-month intervals. Data from 38 intervention subjects and 39 control subjects were analyzed. Results: There were no major differences between the variables of intervention subjects and control subjects. After two sessions, there was a marginally significant increase of seeking social support in the intervention group (P = 0.052) and a significant decrease of avoidance in both groups (P
Highlights
Depressive illness is projected to be the second leading cause of disability worldwide in 2020 [1]
Concerning the depression score changes, the “Improvement” group of the intervention subjects showed an adjusted odds ratios (OR) of 6.83 that was higher compared to the control group, indicating a marginally significant difference (P = 0.083)
The results suggest the possibility that the stress inoculation training (SIT)-based program of this study was effective for improving coping and preventing depression
Summary
Depressive illness is projected to be the second leading cause of disability worldwide in 2020 [1]. Job stress is a risk factor for depression as well as for many other kinds of disorders [2,3]. The mental health condition of workers in Japan is deteriorating and mental health at workplaces is becoming an important issue. In 2000, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare established the “Guidelines for the promotion of worker’s mental health in the workplace”. Mental health is an important workplace issue in Japan. Occupational health nurses conduct counseling for persons who experience problems with their mental health conditions, organize stress prevention education activities and perform other kinds of work to protect and promote mental health among workers at Japanese enterprises [5]
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