| Study characteristics |
| Methods |
RCT, UK |
| Participants |
62 health service workers |
| Interventions |
1) Experimental: Stress Management Training (SMT): 6 weekly 2‐hour sessions of didactic learning, practice of techniques, group exercises and discussion. Topics covered were: nature, signs, causes and symptoms of stress, progressive muscular relaxation, relationship difficulties at home and work, assertiveness techniques, cognitive appraisal and reappraisal, time‐management and goal‐setting skills and emotions and seeking social support.
2) Control: no intervention |
| Outcomes |
General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐12) used to obtain a score labelled psychological distress |
| Identification |
|
| Notes |
GHQ included in analysis 4.1 |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Quote: "The main features of the overall study design include random allocation of groups to receive SMT either immediately or after a waiting period." (p. 329) |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Not reported |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Participants not blinded. |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Participants were not blinded whereas outcomes are self‐reported. |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
High risk |
Only the data for those participants (62/92) who had completed the full set of assessment questionnaires were used in the analyses |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
All outcomes reported |
| Other bias |
Low risk |
We did not find any indications of other sources of bias |
