A pilot randomized controlled trial of the shogi-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy (S-CBT) preventive stress management program

Background Shogi is a traditional board game in Japan. A preventive stress management program based on Shogi-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy (S-CBT) was applied in the Japanese municipality of Kakogawa City. The study aimed to develop an S-CBT preventive stress management program for the elderly and determine its efficacy. Methods The participants were 67 elderly men with amateur-level Shogi skills. They were randomly assigned to either the S-CBT group (n = 33) or the waiting-list control group (n = 34). The S-CBT program was conducted over six 90-min sessions. The outcome measures were recorded using K6 instrument, the Japanese version of the abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale, five items on cognitive behavioral functioning, and subjective well-being scale. Results and conclusions The dropout rates of the S-CBT group and waiting-list control groups were 36.4 and 44.1%, respectively. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for each group. Domains that changed immediately after the S-CBT intervention were problem-solving skills, self-reinforcement, and negative automatic thoughts. Future research should promote mental and physical health through the design of intervention programs using familiar materials. Trial registration University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN CTR) UMIN000036003.

The Effect of a Problem-focused Coping Stress Management Program on Self-efficacy, Psychological Distress, and Salivary Cortisol among First-year Medical Students of Udayana University

Objective. Current evidence has shown academic stress to be associated with student maladaptive behavior. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a problem-focused coping stress management program on first-year medical students’ self-efficacy, psychological distress and find its effect on salivary cortisol. Method. Forty students who scored high on academic stress and external locus of control were randomly selected as the intervention (n = 26) and control group (n = 14). An intervention in the form of a problem-focused coping stress management program was organized. The intervention was a 1½-hour training class conducted once a week for four weeks. Results. There was a significant difference in self-efficacy between the intervention and control groups (p-value = 0.029). The self-efficacy score was significantly higher after the intervention (19.31 ± 2.396 vs 21.27 ± 2.677, p = 0.005). Likewise, a significant difference in the psychological distress between the two groups was found after the intervention (control group = 40.14 ± 3.860; intervention group = 37.12 ± 4.537, p < 0.05). We also found a significant decrease in salivary cortisol after the intervention among this group (0.68262 μg/dl ± 0.367 to 0.43304 μg/dl ± 0.231, p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in cortisol between intervention and control group after the intervention (0.49479 μg/dl ± 0.264 and 0.43304 μg/dl ± 0.231, p = 0.448). Conclusion. The problem-focused coping stress management program improved self-efficacy and decreased the psychological distress and salivary cortisol of first-year medical students in this research.

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of the Shogi-assisted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (S-CBT) Preventive Stress Management Program

Background: Shogi is a traditional board game in Japan, and a preventative stress management program based on Shogi-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy (S-CBT) has been applied in the Japanese municipality of Kakogawa City. The study aimed to develop an S-CBT preventive stress management program for the elderly and determine its efficacy.Methods: The participants were 67 elderly men with amateur-level Shogi skills. They were randomly assigned to either the S-CBT group (n = 33) or the waiting-list control group (n = 34). The S-CBT program was conducted over six 90-min sessions. The outcome measures were recorded using the K6 instrument, the Japanese version of the abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale, five items on cognitive behavioral functioning, and subjective well-being.Results and Conclusions: The dropout rates of the S-CBT group and waiting-list control groups were 36.4% and 44.1%, respectively. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for each group. Domains that changed immediately after the S-CBT intervention were problem-solving skills, self-reinforcement, and negative automatic thoughts. Future research should promote mental and physical health through the design of intervention programs using familiar materials.Trial registration: University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN CTR) UMIN000036003.

Relationship between sources and manifestations of stress among faculty members in Isabela State University

Stress is inevitable in any workplace. Stressed teachers in every school are prone to exhaustion and commit errors. In the Philippines, few studies have been discussed due to stress among faculty members, especially in tertiary education. In this study, the researchers shed light on sources, manifestations, and levels of stress, and discovered the relationship between sources and their manifestations among faculty members of the eight colleges of the Isabela State University-Main Campus. Data were randomly collected from 165 respondents, through the Teacher Stress Inventory developed by Fimian. Data revealed that the main sources and manifestations of stress by the respondents were Work-related and Professional Investment, and Fatigue Manifestations. The level of stress among the respondents was moderate. Likewise, the sources and manifestations of stress were found significantly correlated to each other. Results of the study press on the development of a proposed Stress Management Program supportive and essential in managing and coping stress of the faculty member

Effects of an Internet-based machine-guided stress management program based on cognitive behavioral therapy applying artificial intelligence technologies on improving depression among workers: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The effect of an unguided cognitive-behavioral therapy-based (CBT) stress management program on depression may be enhanced by applying artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to guide participants’ learning. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to propose a research protocol to investigate the effect of a newly developed machine-guided CBT stress management program on improving depression among workers during an outbreak of COVID-19. METHODS This study is a two-arm, parallel randomized control trial. Participants (N = 1,400) will be recruited and those who meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly allocated to the intervention or control (treatment as usual) group. A six-week, six-module Internet-based stress management program, SMART-CBT, has been developed that includes machine-guided exercises to help participants acquire CBT skills, applying machine learning and deep learning technologies. The intervention group will participate in the program for 10 weeks. Depression as the primary outcome will be measured using the Beck Depression Inventory II at baseline and in 3- and 6-month follow-up surveys. A mixed model repeated measures analysis will be used to test the intervention effect (group × time interactions) in the total sample (universal prevention), on an intention-to-treat basis. RESULTS The study was at the stage of recruitment of the participants at the time of submission. The data analysis of the primary outcome will start in January 2022, and the results could be published in 2022. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to investigate the effectiveness of a fully-automated, machine-guided iCBT program on improving subthreshold depression among workers using a RCT design. The study will explore the potential of a machine-guided stress management program that can be disseminated online to a large number of workers with minimal cost in the post-COVID-19 era. CLINICALTRIAL Trial registration number: UMIN000043897 (May 31, 2021).