Effectiveness of a Stress Management Intervention in Reducing Utilization of Health Care Services

The primary objectives of this follow-up investigation is to statistically test whether students enrolled in freshman seminars who took part in a semester-long stress management intervention (N=32) have fewer health center visits over the subsequent 3.5 years than students enrolled in freshman seminars but not exposed to the intervention (N=50). The rationale for these expected results is that the stress management intervention will have enabled the participants to better manage their stress, leading to: 1) decreased stress and negative emotion resulting in less illness behavior as indicated by health services utilization; and 2) diminished immunosuppressive effects of stress, and thus fewer visits to the health center for infectious illnesses.

 

A long, healthy, and happy life is the result of making contributions, of having meaningful projects that are personally exciting and contribute to and bless the lives of others.
~Hans Selye