Evidence-Based Resource Summary

Health care workers can suffer from work-related stress. This may lead to severe distress, burnout, or physical illness. This systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of work- and person-directed interventions in preventing work-related stress in health care workers. It identified 58 studies with a total of 7,188 participants. The studies evaluated cognitive-behavioral training (CBT), mental and physical relaxation, combined CBT and relaxation, and organizational interventions. Organizational interventions included changes in work conditions, increasing communication skills, and changing schedules. It concluded that CBT, mental and physical relaxation, and changing work schedules can reduce stress. Other organizational interventions had no clear effects. More randomized controlled trials are needed that compare the interventions to a placebo-like intervention.