Volume 15, Issue 2 (Spring 2026)                   J Occup Health Epidemiol 2026, 15(2): 136-143 | Back to browse issues page

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Nezhadbagheripoor M, Kaabomeir N, Javedanipour Z, Farazestanian B. The Effect of Cognitive-Behavioral Stress-Management Training on Employees’ Psychological Well-Being, Self-Efficacy, Job Stress, and Intolerance of Uncertainty. J Occup Health Epidemiol 2026; 15 (2) :136-143
URL: http://johe.rums.ac.ir/article-1-1146-en.html

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1- M.Sc. in General Psychology, Dept. of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Khayyam University, Mashhad, Iran.
2- Assistant Prof., Dept. of Psychology, Binaloud Institution of Higher Education, Mashhad, Iran. , n.kaabomeir@binaloud.ac.ir
3- Ph.D. Student in Specialized Psychology, Dept. of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Neyshabur, Iran.
Article history
Received: 2025/12/10
Accepted: 2026/04/17
ePublished: 2026/06/30
Abstract:   (19 Views)

Background: Occupational stress affects employees’ mental health and performance. This study hypothesized that stress-management training would improve psychological well-being and self-efficacy and reduce intolerance of uncertainty through reductions in job stress.
Materials & Methods: This applied study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design among 30 call-center employees with high occupational stress in Mashhad, Iran, in 2023. Employees were assigned to experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups using purposive sampling. The experimental group received eight weekly 90-minute sessions of cognitive-behavioral stress management training. Data were collected using standardized measures of job stress, psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and intolerance of uncertainty. Analyses included paired-sample t-tests, multilevel regression models based on the Difference-in-Differences framework, and mediation analysis.
Results: The intervention significantly reduced job stress (β = −1.41, p = .003) and improved psychological well-being (β = 1.03, p = .045) and self-efficacy (β = 0.94, p = .049) compared with the control. Although intolerance of uncertainty decreased significantly within the experimental group, the Group × Time interaction was not significant (β = −0.88, p > .05). Reductions in job stress partially mediated improvements in psychological well-being (indirect effect = −0.14, 95% CI [−0.28, −0.02]).
Conclusions: Cognitive-behavioral stress-management training reduced job stress and enhanced psychological well-being and self-efficacy among call-center employees. Job stress may represent a mechanism linking workplace interventions to mental health outcomes. Structured stress-management programs may be a practical strategy for improving well-being and functioning in high-stress occupational settings.

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