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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2018 Apr;97(17):e0475.
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000010475.

A rational-emotive stress management intervention for reducing job burnout and dysfunctional distress among special education teachers: An effect study

Samuel C Ugwoke  1 , Chiedu Eseadi  1 , Liziana N Onuigbo  1 , Eucharia N Aye  1 , Immaculata N Akaneme  1 , Angie I Oboegbulem  1 , Ifeyinwa O Ezenwaji  1 , Anthonia U Nwobi  2 , Okechukwu O Nwaubani  3 , Bernedeth N Ezegbe  3 , Moses O Ede  1 , Chibueze T Orji  4 , Joseph C Onuoha  3 , Eucharia A Onu  1 , Francisca Okeke  1 , Patricia Agu  1 , Joachim C Omeje  1 , Faith Omeke  1 , Romanus Ugwu  1 , Florence Arumede  1 , Annastasia Eneh  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

A rational-emotive stress management intervention for reducing job burnout and dysfunctional distress among special education teachers: An effect study

Samuel C Ugwoke et al. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 Apr.

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Job-related burnout and distress are adverse stress responses which affect individuals in their occupational environment. This study aimed at investigating the effect of a rational-emotive stress management program on job burnout and dysfunctional distress among special education teachers in Nigeria.

Methods: A pretest-posttest randomized control group design was used. The participants in the study were 54 special education teachers. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires. Participants were allocated to either the treatment group (n = 28 [59.1%]) or the waitlist control group (n = 26 [48.1%]), respectively. A rational-emotive stress management manual was used to deliver the intervention. We statistically analyzed the data collected at three-time points with repeated-measures analysis of variance.

Results: At baseline, the job-related burnout symptoms and distress scores of participants were high. However, an intention-to-treat analysis showed that the rational-emotive stress management intervention program was efficacious in reducing the levels of job-related burnout symptoms and dysfunctional distress among participants assigned to the treatment group, compared to a waitlisted group at post-treatment and follow-up meetings.

Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of a rational-emotive stress management intervention in reducing the level of job-related burnout and distress in a sample of special education teachers in Nigeria. Occupational health counsellors and other clinicians with sufficient knowledge of rational-emotive behavior therapy framework are urged to employ this approach in assisting other employees in managing job burnout symptoms, and distress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interest: The author (s) of this work have nothing to disclose.

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Participants eligibility criteria using CONSORT flow diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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