Experiences of Living with Stress-Related Exhaustion Disorder and Participating in a Tailor-Made AntiStress Program in Primary Care

Tina Arvidsdotter,Sven Kylén,Siv Bäck-Pettersson

doi:10.4236/psych.2019.1011096

Abstract

Approximately one million Swedes of working age suffer from stress-related exhaustion disorder (SRED). However, with the current primary care, it is difficult to manage and treat SRED due to the support needs of patients with SRED. To offer more rehabilitation options, a tailor-made 10-week AntiStress program was developed, based on Arvidsdotters thesis, in which complementary medicine was integrated with traditional medicine for persons with SRED. The purpose of the study was to evaluate experiences of participation in traditional versus integrative rehabilitation among persons with SRED during the sick leave process. The study employed a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach. In-depth interviews were conducted individually (n = 12) and in two focus groups (n = 8; n = 10). All interviews were analyzed using a phenomenological-hermeneutic method for text interpretation inspired by Ricoeur. The overall interpretation of the interview text generated five themes: two themes highlighting the internal and external barriers to healing and three themes describing the importance of participation in the AntiStress program through the provision of integrative therapy to process existential problems, a forum for personal growth, and holistic person-centered rehabilitation, during the sick leave process. The participants described that after years of various antistress activities, they finally received the effective support they sought. Through the AntiStress program, the participants experienced increased self-awareness, self-compassion, self-efficacy and harmony in life. The evaluation shows that the AntiStress program gave the participants valuable and effective tools for managing stress in everyday life. To prevent long-term sick leave, this kind of AntiStress program might serve as a model for developing a standardized treatment option to meet the needs of individuals with different stages of SRED.

Highlights

Stress-related disorders are currently a growing public health problem worldwide (World Health Organization, 2017)
Almost three percent of Sweden’s gross domestic product (GDP) accounts for lost working effort and expenses for health care and caring (OECD, 2013). Factors such as a heavy workload, poor social support, a lack of social roles and interaction, insufficient internal and external resources (Drapeau et al, 2012; Masse, 2000), a lack of management strategies (Arvidsdotter, Marklund, Kylén, Taft, & Ekman, 2015; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), difficulty thinking about work during leisure time and insufficient sleep are all factors that increase the risk of developing stress-related exhaustion disorder (SRED), which is often described as psychological distress, burn-out or similar conditions (Grossi, Perski, Osika, & Savic, 2015)
The focus group interviews were conducted according to the AntiStress program to deepen the understanding of participation in the integrative rehabilitation of persons who previously participated in traditional rehabilitation

Summary

Introduction

Stress-related disorders are currently a growing public health problem worldwide (World Health Organization, 2017). Almost three percent of Sweden’s gross domestic product (GDP) accounts for lost working effort and expenses for health care and caring (OECD, 2013) Factors such as a heavy workload, poor social support, a lack of social roles and interaction, insufficient internal and external resources (Drapeau et al, 2012; Masse, 2000), a lack of management strategies (Arvidsdotter, Marklund, Kylén, Taft, & Ekman, 2015; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), difficulty thinking about work during leisure time and insufficient sleep are all factors that increase the risk of developing stress-related exhaustion disorder (SRED), which is often described as psychological distress, burn-out or similar conditions (Grossi, Perski, Osika, & Savic, 2015). Individuals often take long sick leave periods, sometimes several years, before they are expected to be completely restored and fully working (Försäkringskassan, 2017)

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