Occupational health intervention for work-life balance and burnout management among teachers in rural communities.

This study examined the efficacy of the occupational health model of rational emotive behavioral on work-life balance (WLB) and burnout management (BOM) among public school teachers. The study was a pretest-posttest randomized control group design. The participants were 141 teachers in rural communities in Enugu state Nigeria drawn with emphasis on inclusion criteria. Two instruments were used for the data. Data were analyzed using repeated measure analysis of variance. The result showed that rational emotive occupational health coaching (REOHC) led to a significant increase in the management of WLB and burnout among teachers compared to their counterparts in the control group. At the follow-up stage, REOHC proved to be effective over a period of 3 months. REOHC is a therapeutic intervention strategy that is valid and reliable over time in the management of WLB and BOM among teachers. The researchers are optimistic that the extension of REOHC to other related social and psychological-based self-defeating belief by social workers, psychologists, counselors, and employers of labors can enhance their productivity and emotionality in the home and workplace.

A blended rational emotive occupational health coaching for job-stress among teachers of children with special education needs.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Heightened stress tends to undermine both teachers' efficacy and students' outcomes. Managing job stress in teachers of children with special education needs is continually recommended due to the increased demands for the teachers to adapt curriculum content, learning materials and learning environments for learning. This study investigated the efficacy of blended Rational Emotive Occupational Health Coaching in reducing occupational stress among teachers of children with special needs in Abia State, Nigeria. METHOD: The current study adopted a group-randomized waitlist control trial design with pretest, post-test and follow-up assessments. Participants (N = 83) included teachers of children with special education needs in inclusive and specialized schools. The bREOHC group was exposed to intersession face-to-face and online REOC program weekly for twelve (12) weeks. Data were collected using Single Item Stress Questionnaire (SISQ), Teachers' Stress Inventory and Participants' Satisfaction questionnaire (PSQ). Data collected at baseline; post-test as well as follow-up 1 and 2 evaluations were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, t-test statistics, repeated measures ANOVA and bar charts. RESULTS: Results revealed that the mean perceived stress, stress symptoms and the total teachers' stress score of the bREOHC group at post-test and follow up assessments reduced significantly, compared to the waitlisted group. Participants also reported high level of satisfaction with the therapy and procedures. CONCLUSION: From the findings of this study, we conclude that blended REOHC is efficacious in occupational stress management among teachers of children with special education needs.

Effect of rational emotive behavior therapy on stress management and irrational beliefs of special education teachers in Nigerian elementary schools.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: From a rational emotive behavior therapy viewpoint, stress-related disorders originate from irrational beliefs and self-defeating philosophies and attitude. Individuals affected by stress are different from those ones with neurotic problems mainly because the stressed individuals have irrational beliefs about specific, short-term, or more readily identifiable events, in contrast to the more mundane and diffuse difficulties faced by neurotic persons. The present study aimed to examine the impact of a rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) intervention on the stress levels and irrational beliefs among special education teachers in elementary schools in Nigeria. METHODS: We employed a group randomized controlled trial design for this study. Eighty six participants recruited from elementary schools in the South-eastern part of the country were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (n = 43) or no-intervention control group (n = 43). We used the REBT Stress Management Manual to conduct the intervention. Stress levels and irrational beliefs were assessed using self-report questionnaires. Participants in the treatment group took part in the REBT program for 12 weeks and a follow-up program for 2 weeks. Analysis of the data was completed through a 2 × 3 within × between-subjects repeated measures analysis of variance, and independent samples t test. RESULTS: Results showed that the REBT group experienced a significant mean decline in stress levels and their beliefs shifted to rational ones both at post-treatment and follow-up. In contrast, the participants in the no-intervention control group showed no improvements at either posttreatment or follow-up sessions. CONCLUSION: Rational-emotive behavior therapy is an effective therapeutic modality that can be applied by REBT clinicians for the management of stress. Additional clinical assessments will be necessary to further confirm the impact of an REBT intervention on teachers' stress management and irrational beliefs in Nigerian elementary school setting.