Coping with stress: the comparative effectiveness of a group versus an audiocassette program for school counselors

Date

1995-05

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Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

School counselors are especially susceptible to the effects of stress created by a myriad of pressures from parents, teachers, administrators, peers, and self. Consequently, stress experienced by school counselors can harm counselors themselves and reduce the quality of work that they are able to provide for schools. There is a need to help school counselors develop effective ways to cope more effectively with occupational stress.

Within the past ten years, the literature in the helping professions has focused on the negative impact of excessive stress on clients being served by counselors. However, an extensive review of the literature revealed only a few studies containing information about the stress experienced by school counselors. Only two of those articles described methods for helping school counselors learn effective coping strategies for stress.

The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of a group presentation and an individual audiocassette presentation of a stress management program to help school counselors with different levels of experience manage occupational stress. A total of 40 school counselors from school districts in West Texas participated in this study. Scores on Moracco's (1984) Counselor Occupational Stress Inventory and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (Folkman & Lazarus, 1988) were used as measurement indices. The data from the stress and coping scales were analyzed by the use of a multivariate analysis of variance to determine whether there was a significant difference on the stress and coping scores among the participants in the treatment groups, and on the levels of experience factor.

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