Stress management and organisation development : effects of transcendental meditation on psychological, physiological, and organisational variables at the worksite

Abstract

Bibliography: p. 348-363.This study evaluated the effectiveness of a stress reduction intervention (SRI) offered to employees at one worksite where 80 were employed. 41 Volunteers (aged 21-65) participated in Transcendental Meditation (TM), and 18 (aged 19-46) in Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR). Two groups did not attend the SRI. These were 11 non-volunteers for the SRI (aged 25-58) who served as on-site controls, while 16 outside attendees (aged 27-44) of a personal productivity workshop served as offsite controls. All subjects completed a standardised stress symptoms questionnaire (SCL-90-R) before and after the SRI. On-site subjects also had blood pressure, heart and breath rates measured by a trained nurse and completed a company climate questionnaire-before and after the SRI. Structured interviews were conducted at three year followup. An hypothesis that test groups would show significant reductions in psychological stress symptoms was supported at 6-week (TM p<0,0001, PMR p<0,001) and 5,5 month followup (p<0,0002, paired-t). TM groups showed significant reductions in blood pressure at 5,5 month followup (p<0,05). Overall company climate showed improvement at 6 weeks which tended to reverse at 5,5 months, following retrenchment of 10 staff. Psychological and physiological variables were found to be positively correlated. Non-volunteer on-site controls appeared to benefit almost as much as those who received training, whereas off-site controls did not. Company effectiveness improved over three years following the intervention though causality was not addressed