Based on Bob’s case, your task is to evaluate credible, empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of behavioural interventions to determine which is most likely to help Bob manage his stress during this challenging time.

CASES STUDY

Stress coping strategies may be classified in many ways, but many people consider behavioural techniques as a part of mind-body medicine and thus, this is an important consideration for psychologists (and related allied health fields). Behavioural interventions for managing stress, such as relaxation training, cognitive behavioural therapy, and emotional disclosure can be effective, but they may not be equally effective in managing the stressful situation.

The Case
Bob, a 26-year-old cis-gendered non-Indigenous Australian man from Redfern (NSW), is experiencing occupational stress and burnout. He is otherwise healthy. He has recently completed his MClin degree and is now preparing to write his board exam with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) in six months’ time to register as a general psychologist. As a provisional psychologist, he is also currently a full-time behavioural support specialist. He knows the additional demands on his time and attention are temporary with his upcoming board exam, but he is starting to feel generally anxious, quick to temper, not sleeping well, and is dissatisfied with his job, career path, and interpersonal relationships. He feels overwhelmed, rather than simply challenged, and has started to procrastinate on study tasks for the board exam.

Your task
Based on Bob’s case, your task is to evaluate credible, empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of behavioural interventions to determine which is most likely to help Bob manage his stress during this challenging time. You should select two of the following three interventions: (1) relaxation training, (2) cognitive behavioural therapy, and (3) emotional disclosure, to compare in your critical evaluation of the evidence.