Evidence-based health and well-being for entire populations.

Stress Management

The Stress Management program assists adults in effectively managing stress in healthy ways, including: exercising, seeking social support, using pleasant activities and relaxation techniques.

About 78% of Americans report having at least one symptom of stress. Towers Watson reported that employers must identify stress-reduction solutions that work for their organizations or suffer the business consequences of less productive employees (low engagement and high absenteeism).

Our Stress program has been recognized by SAMHSA and AHRQ Health Care Innovation Exchange for its quality of underlying research and readiness for dissemination.

The Stress Management program, available in English and Spanish, is a self-administered program that includes:

  • Online computer tailored intervention (CTI) with questions and feedback tailored to each individual’s needs
  • Dynamic web activities matched to the individual’s readiness to change (e.g. a quiz to understand stress, an assessment of the causes of stress in the individual’s life and the symptoms of stress; stress management techniques from relaxation to time management; ways to get support and plan for situations that can cause stress)
  • Tailored text messaging

Online Program

We have self-directed and coaching versions of our digital Stress Management program.

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Effectiveness

In an effectiveness trial, a national sample of adults was given Pro-Change’s Stress Management intervention.

  • At the 18-month follow-up, a significantly larger proportion of the treatment group (62%) was effectively managing their stress when compared to the control group.
  • The intervention also produced significant reductions in stress and depression and an increase in the use of stress management techniques when compared to the control group.1

In two replication trials, 74% and 65% were effectively managing their stress at 6-month follow-up.2, 3

Development of this program was supported by Small Business Innovation Research Grant R44 CA81948 from the National Cancer Institute. In the effectiveness trial, a national sample of adults was given Pro-Change’s Stress Management intervention.

Results Published

1. Evers, K.E., Prochaska, J.O., Johnson, J.L., Mauriello, L.M., Padula, J.A., & Prochaska, J.M. (2006). A randomized clinical trial of a population and transtheoretical-based stress management intervention. Health Psychology 25 (4), 521-529. abstract
Abstract: Stress has been associated with a variety of chronic and acute conditions and with higher use of health care services. This research reports on 18-month outcomes of a randomized clinical trial of a stress management program based on the transtheoretical model (TTM, J.0. Prochaska & C.C. DiClemente, 1986). A national sample of 1,085 individuals participated (age range = 18-91 years, M = 55.33; 68.9% Female, 31.1% male; 84.8% Caucasian; 15.2% non-Caucasian). Both the treatment and control groups received assessments at 0, 6, 12, and 18 months. In addition to the assessments, the treatment group received 3 individualized reports (0,3,6 months) and a manual. The 18-month assessment was completed by 778 individuals (72%). A random effects model indicated that participants completing the study in the treatment group had significantly more individuals reporting effective stress management at follow-up time points than did completers in the control group. Results also indicate that the intervention had significant effects on stress, depression, and specific stress-management behaviors. Results provide evidence for the effectiveness of this TTM population-based stress-management intervention.
2.Prochaska, J.O., Butterworth, S., Redding, C. A., Burden, V., Perrin, N., Leo, M., Flaherty-Rob, M., Prochaska, J.M.(2008). Initial efficacy of MI, TTM Tailoring and HRI’s with multiple behaviors for employee health promotion. Preventive Medicine, 46, 226-231.
3. Prochaska, J.O., Evers, K.E., Castle, P.H., Johnson, J.L., Prochaska, J.M., Rula, E.Y., Coberley, C., & Pope, J.E. (2012). Enhancing multiple domains of well-being by decreasing multiple health risk behaviors: A randomized clinical trial. Population Health Management, 15(5), 276-286.
Certified by NCQA in the category of Self Management