Stress management: individual differences and determination of situations (review of studies)
Makowska, Z.
Medycyna Pracy 46(4): 395-406
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0465-5893 PMID: 7476153 Document Number: 446755
Following the review of studies and their results, the author highlighted the main features of the stress managing process as a basis for taking necessary actions to combat an occupational stress and to ease its possible negative effect. The documented variability of the stress managing provides an opportunity for incorporating the training on how to cope with the stress into the "stress management" programmes at the work place. The relationship between the ways and styles of coping with stress in particular situations and personality traits, significant, however moderate, indicates certain preferences in coping with stress in different situations. Therefore, a certain degree of behavioral "stiffness" as well as an individual approach should be taken into consideration in setting training programmes. The situation-related variability of coping with stress requires distinction between various behavioral patterns in view of occupational situations, namely the kind of stress and the situation control. However, the distinction alone between given behaviours does not provide a sufficient basis for promoting relevant strategies of coping with stress, it is also necessary to evaluate their efficiency, applying various short- and long-term efficiency criteria. Strategies which prove to be efficient during a short period of time need not be efficient during a long period of time, and behaviours successful in one situation may fail in another one.