Effects of an Integrated Stress Management Program (ISMP) for Psychologically Distressed Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an integrated stress management program(ISMP) on college life stress, stress coping, psychological distress, and cortisol among male college students. DESIGN AND METHODS: Out of 137 initially enrolled students, 99 participants were identified as distressed subjects and randomly assigned to either the ISMP or control group. Ultimately, 84 participants (43: experimental, 41: control) completed pretest-posttest. The experimental group received eight 2-hr sessions over 4 weeks. FINDINGS: Stress and psychological distress decreased significantly, whereas stress coping and cortisol did not improve significantly. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Further studies with longer follow-up periods and physiological interventions are required.