Stress inoculation training

Abstract

This chapter considers the theoretical underpinnings of Stress inoculation training (SIT) and provides a detailed description of the clinical procedural steps involved in conducting SIT. Illustrative applications of how SIT has been applied on both a treatment and a preventative basis are offered. A central concept underlying SIT is that of inoculation, which has been used both in medicine and in social-psychological research on attitude change. SIT can be viewed as an engaging way to help clients become aware of the impact of their narratives and maladaptive stress-engendering behaviors. SIT helps distressed individuals become aware of how they can engage in behaviors that maintain and exacerbate their distress. SIT is a flexible, individually tailored, multifaceted form of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Given the wide array of stressors that individuals, families, and communities experience, SIT provides a set of general principles and clinical guidelines for treating distressed individuals, rather than a specific treatment formula or a set of “canned” interventions.