Does Personal Initiative Training Work as a Stress Management Intervention?

An experimental trial is reported that compares 2 stress management intervention programs and a waitlist control. Both programs involved training in problem-focused strategies of identifying and changing the sources of stress. One of the programs contained additional content on how to display more personal initiative (PI). Both programs involved 2 sessions held 1 week apart, each session lasting 3-4 hr. Strain was measured before training and at 7 and 13 weeks after the initial session. Results show that both programs were effective at reducing strain, whereas the waitlist group showed no change in strain. The PI program increased proactive behavior at 7 weeks as determined by independent evaluations, although the same pattern was not observed for PI self-reports. Proactive behavior did not appear to mediate the effects of training programs on strain.