Impact
of a Workplace
Stress Reduction
Program on Blood
Pressure and
Emotional Health in
Hypertensive
Employees
Rollin McCraty,
Ph.D., Mike
Atkinson, and Dana
Tomasino, B.A.
Journal of
Alternative and
Complementary
Medicine. 2003;
9(3): 355-369.
ABSTRACT
Objectives:
This study examined
the impact of a
workplace-based
stress management
program on blood
pressure (BP),
emotional health,
and
workplace-related
measures in
hypertensive
employees of a
global information
technology company.
Design:
Thirty-eight (38)
employees with
hypertension were
randomly assigned to
a treatment group
that received the
stress-reduction
intervention or a
waiting control
group that received
no intervention
during the study
period. The
treatment group
participated in a
16-hour program,
which included
instruction in
positive emotion
refocusing and
emotional
restructuring
techniques intended
to reduce
sympathetic nervous
system arousal,
stress, and negative
affect, increase
positive affect, and
improve performance.
Learning and
practice of the
techniques was
enhanced by heart
rate variability
feedback, which
helped participants
learn to
self-generate
physiological
coherence, a
beneficial
physiologic mode
associated with
increased heart
rhythm coherence,
physiologic
entrainment,
parasympathetic
activity, and
vascular resonance.
BP, emotional
health, and
workplace-related
measures were
assessed before and
3 months after the
program.
Results:
Three months
post-intervention,
the treatment group
exhibited a mean
adjusted reduction
of 10.6 mm Hg in
systolic BP and of
6.3 mm Hg in
diastolic BP. The
reduction in
systolic BP was
significant in
relation to the
control group. The
treatment group also
demonstrated
improvements in
emotional health,
including
significant
reductions in stress
symptoms,
depression, and
global psychological
distress and
significant
increases in
peacefulness and
positive outlook.
Reduced systolic BP
was correlated with
reduced stress
symptoms.
Furthermore, the
trained employees
demonstrated
significant
increases in the
work-related scales
of workplace
satisfaction and
value of
contribution.
Conclusions:
Results suggest that
a brief workplace
stress management
intervention can
produce clinically
significant
reductions in BP and
improve emotional
health among
hypertensive
employees.
Implications are
that such
interventions may
produce a healthier
and more productive
workforce, enhancing
performance and
reducing losses to
the organization
resulting from
cognitive decline,
illness, and
premature mortality.
For more information
on The Journal
of Alternative and
Complementary
Medicine,
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