Workplace Stress Management Interventions and Health Promotion

Abstract

Employee health and wellness are important for employees, their families, and their organizations. We review the literature on both stress management interventions in organizations and workplace health promotion and wellness programs, from the lens of primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions as well as the framework provided by the job demands–resources model ( Bakker & Demerouti 2007 ). Stress management interventions tend to be ameliorative, often focusing on restoring resources that have been depleted by the work environment, whereas workplace health promotion and wellness programs tend to be more preventive, enhancing job and personal resources for all employees. There appears to be a trend toward incorporating stress management as a component of workplace wellness programs, with these programs taking more of a primary or secondary intervention approach than a tertiary approach. In addition, although organization-level interventions are still relatively rare, there is growing evidence that organizational interventions, especially when combined with individual-level interventions, can be quite effective in promoting a positive, healthy work environment. We conclude the review by offering suggestions for future research and some considerations for the design and evaluation of future interventions.