Abstract
Clinical investigation was performed to observe the health promotive effect induced by systematic stress coping program. More than 3700 employees of 11 enterprises attended to the stress coping programs which consisted of several lectures concerning health management and stress coping skills. Brief autogenic training (referred to as AT) was applied as a coping technique. The effect of health promotion was estimated before and after 3 months of program with Japanese Mental Health Inventory namely JMI Health Questionnaire and physiological laboratory test. In this studies, 155 cases of the AT group and 43 cases of non-AT control group were compared. Both groups showed an improvement in physical health, mental health, and environmental adaptability. The scores for psychological indicators such as spontaneity, social responsibility, anxiety, hypochondriacal tendency, suggestibility, explosive temper and hyperthymia improved. Scores for accuracy of work, motivation to work, belongingness, personal relationship with fellow workers improved in the AT group after three months of program. Laboratory data were also compared before and after the program. Serum cortisol level was significantly decreased and immunological (NK activity. CD 4/CD 8 and albumin/globulin ratio) , hematological (white blood cell), and endocrinological (LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio) alteration were observed toward more healthy direction after coping program in the AT group. The AT group showed more improvement in psychological health by decreased hebephrenical tendency and elevated controlability of emotion. Laboratory data showed more significant increase of serum uric acid and creatinine in the AT group. Serum level of albumin decreased and α1- and α2-globulin elevated, which may explain the decreased A/G ratio and elevated ZTT and TTT. These data suggested that AT may have some potential for alteration of the physiological condition through endocrinological, immunological and metabolical mechanisms. This investigation revealed that stress coping program in the industries might be usable as effective tools for psychosomatic relaxation and health promotion.
