A graduate level course: Teaching stress management skills to occupational health physicians and practitioners

The WHO Study Group on Training and Evaluation in Occupational Medicine has recently emphasized the importance of incorporating theoretical and practical aspects of stress prevention and management in the professional training of occupational health practitioners. Such a course was developed for the Tel-Aviv University Medical School graduate program in occupational health. The course objectives are consistent with the current call for improved training in psychosocial issues in medical care. Twenty-three occupational health practitioners (physicians, nurses, hygienists and social workers) participated in a bi-semester course. The first part included a stress management and prevention program based on the RET (Rational-Emotive Training) model. The second involved developing and implementing a field project on primary and secondary prevention of stress and its outcomes. Pre-, mid-and post-course questionnaires showed significantly improved psychosocial ability and reduced irrational/dysfunctional thinking, considered a causal factor in stress and burnout. Acquiring such anti-stress resources may benefit practitioners and clients/patients, both potential victims of occupational stress alike. We recommend the inclusion of such extended courses to the professional training of occupational health practitioners.