Rational Thinking and Stress Management in Health Workers: A Psychoeducational Program

The paper describes the rationale and contents of a graduate-level practicum on stress management. The course objective is consistent with the current call for improved training in psychological issues in medical education. Participants were 39 occupational health practitioners (physicians, industrial hygienists, nurses, and physiotherapists) in the Tel-Aviv University Medical School graduate program in occupational health. Twenty-five students in the same program who did not participate in the practicum were included as comparison subjects. The course was based on a cognitive-behavioral model (Rational-Emotive Behavior Training) developed by Ellis. The one-semester practicum aimed to reduce irrational/dysfunctional thinking patterns which are considered to be causal factors in stress etiology. Irrationality was significantly reduced by the end of the course and perceived psychosocial professional efficacy was increased. The improvements in such personal anti-stress resources may benefit health workers and clients alike. It is recommended to include such courses to the professional training of all health care practitioners.     

Stress management and burnout prevention in female blue-collar workers: Theoretical and practical implications

Occupational stress is a pervasive problem among blue-collar workers, and women employees are especially vulnerable, yet this population is rarely addressed. The study concerns a stress management training program developed for female production workers with little formal education, based on the cognitive approach of Rational-Emotive-Behavioral Training (REBT). Several strategies and teaching aids suitable for such a population are suggested. Twenty-seven women participated in the program. Fourteen of them comprised the waiting-list control group. Burnout, tension, listlessness, cognitive weariness, and work/home conflict were assessed before, at the end, and at 12 months follow-up. At the end of the six-session program, four of the five measures in the experimental group were significantly reduced compared to the control group. At the 12 months follow-up, tension and burnout were still reduced compared to baseline suggesting that REBT can be successfully taught to such participants but booster sessions are required.     

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Successes and Failures: Eight Personal Perspectives

Eight experts in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) provided personal examples of their own successes and failures in applying REBT to themselves. The experts actively talked to themselves both rationally and irrationally. Understandably, there were far more shoulds, oughts, musts, and have to's in the narratives in which the experts described when they failed to use REBT than when they succeeded in using REBT. Rational self‐talk was more prevalent in the examples of how REBT was successfully used by the experts.     

Introduction to the Special Issue on Grief

In the Introduction I present an overview of the changes that take place in conceptualizing the psychological purpose of the grief process following death of a loved one, and their effect on defining adaptive and maladaptive outcomes of grief. One of the most significant ones is the shift from breaking bonds to continuing bonds—the process of reorganizing the inner relationship with the deceased. New models of developmental grief have evolved. These are empirically-based and evidenced-based studies within which Cognitive Behavior Grief Therapy has gained significant reputation and the collection of articles in this special issue are representative of these changes. Also, a URL link of my article “Cognitive Behavioral Grief Therapy”, published in this journal in 1996 is provided for interested readers.     

REBT: Past,Present and Future

In this article, I reflect on what I believe are Albert Ellis’ important contributions to the field of psychotherapy. Having worked closely with Albert Ellis for 32 years, I offer my opinions on some misconceptions of Albert Ellis.     

A rational-emotive group intervention for preventing and coping with stress among safety officers

A stress management and prevention workshop for nonclinical industrial workers using rational-emotive principles with 18 months followup is reported. Twenty-two senior safety officers participated in an intervention program of five weekly meetings aimed at improving cognitive skills and assertiveness mainly by decreasing irrational thought processes. We hypothesized an increase in assertiveness, and a decrease in irrational beliefs, and emotional and cognitive stress symptoms (manifested in somatic complaints and cognitive weariness). Assertiveness improved and somatic complaints and irrationality decreased in the short term. Eighteen months later, cognitive weariness was also reduced. The other improvements were still evident, but not to the same extent as short-term effects. Although the workshop improved rationality, further practice would be needed in the behavioral aspect of stress prevention to achieve long-term improvements in assertiveness.Talma Kushnir, Ph.D., is a social and medical psychologist at the Occupational Health and Rehabilitation Institute, Raanana, Israel, and teaches psychology and health promotion at the Tel-Aviv University Medical School.Ruth Malkinson, Ph.D., fellow and RET trainer and supervisor of the Institute for RET, and teaches at the School of Social Work and Medical School at Tel-Aviv University, Israel. Both authors contributed equally to this studyThis study was supported by the Committee for Preventive Action and Research in Occupational Health, The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Jerusalem, Israel.The authors thank Estie Weisberg for her administrative assistance in organizing the workshops.     

The Aging Of Grief: Parents' Grieving Of Israeli Soldiers

Abstract

This chapter examines long-term parental grief of soldiers within the context of the Israeli society. Parental grief is discussed along the life span, commencing at the immediate phase following the loss through the bereavement process in middle to late adulthood and its manifestations in aging. Interviews with a group of elderly bereaved parents whose sons were killed during military service give further support to previous findings regarding the notion that the passage of time has no diminishing effect on their grief nor does it relinquish their attachment to the deceased. With aging, there appears to be an increase in internalized involvement with the long-lost child, fears of fading memories, and the need to eternalize the deceased. In reviewing the past, parents reevaluate their coping with the loss and their relationship with the surviving children. The parents' preoccupation is twofold: On one hand, the strong attachment seems to continue in inner representations of the lost child, and, on the other, this preoccupation is enhanced externally owing to Israeli society's attitude toward dead soldiers. An intersection is therefore established between society and bereaved families. Grief is apparently a central theme in aging parents who are preoccupied with the “aging” of their grief rather than their own aging.     

Post‐September 11th Perspectives on Religion,Spirituality, and Philosophy in the Personal and Professional Lives of Selected REBT Cognoscenti

The purpose of this article was for selected Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) cognoscenti to examine the impact of the events of September 11th, 2001, on their beliefs about religion, spirituality, and their personal philosophy—including the role of evil in the universe and the implications of these issues on their use of REBT. The degree of consistency of the authors' views with classical REBT theory and philosophy was examined. The authors are current or former members of the Albert Ellis Institute's International Training Standards and Policy Review Committee, of which Albert Ellis, REBT's founder, is also a member.     

Rational emotive behavior therapy successes and failures: Eight personal perspectives

Eight experts in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) provided personal examples of their own successes and failures in applying REBT to themselves. The experts actively talked to themselves both rationally and irrationally. Understandably, there were far more shoulds, oughts, musts, and have to’s in the narratives in which the experts described when they failed to use REBT than when they succeeded in using REBT. Rational self-talk was more prevalent in the examples of how REBT was successfully used by the experts. Reprinted from Journal of Counseling & Development, Summer 2001, Volume 79. ACA. Reprinted with permission. No further reproduction authorized without written permission from the American Counseling Association.     

Bereavement and Traumatic Bereavement: Working with the Two-Track Model of Bereavement

Bereavement following loss through death is a universal human experience, but how it is experienced and understood is mediated by many variables. In this article, we stress the importance of a bifocal approach to understanding, assessing and intervening following the loss of significant persons using the framework of the Two-Track Model of Bereavement. This model examines both biopsychosocial functioning as well as the nature of the ongoing relationship with the deceased and the death story in working with the bereaved. It is particularly suited to identify adaptive and maladaptive responses to loss and to optimally focus interventions where needed. Two case vignettes are presented to orient the discussion. Traumatic bereavements, a term indicating the interface between trauma and loss, increase the likelihood of complications following loss and these are considered. Bereavements that occur under external traumatic circumstances increase the risk for dysfunction, symptomatic difficulties and complicated grief. In addition, there are forms of traumatic bereavement that arise due to subjective elements related to aspects of the psychological relationship to the deceased and the relational bond with him or her. Clinically, there is a need to identify and understand the various aspects of the traumas of bereavement and to intervene appropriately. Interventions based on the Two-Track Model of Bereavement will be described.