Changing unbalanced coping profiles-A prospective controlled intervention trial in worksite health promotion

Abstract

Effective coping is based upon a broad variety of available strategies and a good balance between instrumental and palliative coping efforts. Thus, stress management training (SMT) should focus on broadening and balancing individual coping-profiles. This study investigated changes in coping profiles after participation in SMT at the worksite. The sample consisted of 82 healthy working persons who participated in a 12-week-SMT and 55 matched controls without intervention. The SMT consisted of six training elements: three of them (assertiveness, cognitive restructuring and time management) addressed instrumental coping and the other three (relaxation, physical activity and scheduling of pleasant activities) focussed on palliative coping. All subjects filled in standardized questionaires on coping, well-being and strain before and after the training. Cluster analyses performed on initial coping scores resulted in a 3-cluster solution: (1) “active flexible coping” (n = 53), (2) “problem-focused coping” (n = 40) and (3) “resignative avoidant coping” (n = 44). Analyses of covariance revealed that SMT-participants of Cluster 2 showed significant improvements regarding emotion-focused coping and those of Cluster 3 regarding problem-focused coping compared to controls of the same cluster. There were also significant associations between these clusterspecific changes of coping and improvements of well-being. In consequence, the SMT improved coping by supplementing one-sided initial coping-profiles.