Psychological methods of stress management

Psychological methods of stress management

1. Cognitive behavioural therapy.

   • CBT is a psychological means of stress management based on replacing irrational, maladaptive thought processes with rational, adaptive ones.
   • Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT, or the ABC method), and the Treatment of Negative Automatic Thoughts - ALSO IN ABNORMALITY.

2. Stress inoculation therapy.

   • The idea behind SIT is to apply the therapy before the stress-related disorder actually occurs.
   • SIT is a form of cognitive restructuring. This term refers to various methods of changing the way people think about themselves and their lives.
   • SIT is a cognitive behavioural method of stress management.
     • The cognitive part involves individuals being trained to recognise stress symptoms and the behavioural part involves the use of certain skills to act upon the causes of stress.
   • SIT has successfully treated acute stressors such as medical examinations, chronic intermittent stressors such as recurrent headaches and chronic continual stressors like medical illnesses.
   • SIT has three phases in restructuring how a person thinks:
     • 1. Assessment - where the patient and therapist discuss the problem and consider how to deal with it.
     • 2. Stress-reduction techniques - where patients are taught skills to deal with stress, such as self-instruction, where coping self-statements are practised.
       • Direct action might include learning physical reaction exercises. Cognitive coping might involve the use of preparation statements, which are positive and incompatible with negative self-statements.
     • 3. Application and follow-through - where patients visualise using stress-reduction techniques learned and then use them in role play exercises and lastly in real-life situations.

3. Jay and Elliot developed a videotape for parents of 3-12 year olds with leukaemia who where undergoing treatment. One hour before treatment, parents are shown the film of a model parent employing self-statements, relaxation techniques and coping imagery rehearsal. The parents then practice this. Compared to other parents the SIT parents showed significantly less anxiety.

   • This implies SIT to be an effective treatment for acute stressors.