Comparison of Three Different Approaches Used in Large-Scale Stress Workshops for the General Public

Abstract

Given the large unmet need for services for anxiety, there is a need to develop larger-scale psychological interventions. Group interventions could help meet the need but the kind of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approach used merits investigation. The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness and attendance of participants self-referring to three different CBT workshops: CBT, Cognitive Therapy (CT) only, and Behavioural (BT) only. Between 1998 and 2001 a series of day-long self-referral stress workshops were offered to members of the general public in South East London. A comparison was made of those attending the workshops immediately and those attending the workshops after a 3-month delay. Participants attending all three types of workshop reported reduced stress and anxiety compared with those in the wait-list control conditions. All three workshops were equally well attended. Results support previous findings showing the clinical effectiveness of large-scale stress workshops for the general public who suffer from high levels of anxiety. The specific kind of CBT approach did not make a marked difference either to attendance or outcome, although the CT groups invoked a greater degree of change on standardized measures than the BT or CBT groups.