CBT is a psychological means of stress
management based on replacing
irrational, maladaptive thought
processes with rational, adaptive ones.
Rational Emotive Behaviour
Therapy (REBT, or the ABC
method), and the Treatment of
Negative Automatic Thoughts
- ALSO IN ABNORMALITY.
Stress
inoculation
therapy.
The idea behind SIT is
to apply the therapy
before the stress-related
disorder actually occurs.
SIT is a form of cognitive
restructuring. This term refers
to various methods of changing
the way people think about
themselves and their lives.
SIT is a cognitive behavioural method of stress management.
The cognitive part involves individuals being trained to
recognise stress symptoms and the behavioural part involves
the use of certain skills to act upon the causes of stress.
SIT has successfully treated acute stressors such as medical
examinations, chronic intermittent stressors such as recurrent
headaches and chronic continual stressors like medical illnesses.
SIT has three
phases in
restructuring how
a person thinks:
1. Assessment - where the patient and therapist
discuss the problem and consider how to deal with it.
2. Stress-reduction techniques - where patients are
taught skills to deal with stress, such as self-instruction,
where coping self-statements are practised.
Direct action might include learning physical reaction exercises.
Cognitive coping might involve the use of preparation statements,
which are positive and incompatible with negative self-statements.
3. Application and follow-through - where
patients visualise using stress-reduction
techniques learned and then use them in role
play exercises and lastly in real-life situations.
Jay and Elliot developed a videotape for parents of 3-12 year olds with
leukaemia who where undergoing treatment. One hour before treatment, parents
are shown the film of a model parent employing self-statements, relaxation
techniques and coping imagery rehearsal. The parents then practice this.
Compared to other parents the SIT parents showed significantly less anxiety.
This implies SIT to be an effective treatment for acute stressors.