Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment-Based Stress Management Training on Occupational Stress and Emotional Exhaustion

Abstract

Background: In order to have an occupational life with high quality and free from detrimental stress, organizations are required to provide more opportunities for their staff to influence their work and cooperate in general organizational effectiveness. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment-based stress management training in staff occupational stress and emotional exhaustion. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population in this study included all of the employees (n=1,300) of the South Zagros Railway Administration in Andimeshk, Iran, in 2018, and the sample included 60 staff selected by simple random sampling and randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. Data collection instruments were Job Stress Scale and Job Burnout Inventory. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data using SPSS software (version 22). Results: The results of covariance analysis showed that there was a significant difference in terms of occupational stress (F=17.35; P<0.001; Eta=0.24) and emotional exhaustion (F=6.93; P=0.011; Eta=0.11) between the experimental and control groups. Conclusion: It can be concluded that acceptance and commitment-based stress management training influenced staff occupational stress and emotional exhaustion. Concerning the prime importance of the variables in the present study (i.e., occupational stress and emotional exhaustion), the managers and leaders of governmental and nongovernmental organizations should take into account the implementation of training intervention of this research protocol regarding the career, organizational, and personal success of staffs.