Stress Inoculation Training: What It Is, How It Works, and Benefits

Stress Inoculation Training: What It Is, How It Works, and Benefits

Stress inoculation training (SIT) is a therapeutic intervention commonly used for treating clients with stress-related and/or trauma-related conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety. SIT teaches clients how to identify negative thinking patterns and triggers and develop coping skills to manage their symptoms and reduce their stress and anxiety

What Is Stress Inoculation Training?

Stress inoculation training is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Cognitive Restructuring

This is a five-step process that involves evaluating the validity of thoughts and beliefs, evaluating predictions, exploring alternative explanations, retraining in attribution, and altering catastrophic thinking styles

Self-Reward/Self-Efficacy Self-Instruction

Self-reward/self-efficacy self-instruction consists of making believable self-statements

Stress Inoculation Training

The adaptability of SIT means that it can offer numerous benefits for people dealing with a broad spectrum of issues.

Three Phases of SIT

Conceptualization: During this phase, therapists conduct comprehensive interviews with the clients and educate them about how stress can negatively impact their life

Key Takeaways

Stress inoculation training has improved the ability of people with anxiety and PTSD to manage their symptoms when encountering triggers

Applied Relaxation

Therapists train clients in skills such as progressive relaxation procedures, relaxation without tension, pleasant imagery, breathing exercises, and cognitively cued relaxation.

Problem-Oriented Self-Instruction

This coping skill includes task-oriented, problem-solving, self-instructional training for clients who don’t have the cognitive skills to solve a problem

What Is the History of Stress Inoculation Training?

In the early 1970s, Donald Meichenbaum developed SIT (stress intervention training) as a training program for stress and anxiety reduction

Stress Inoculation Training Work

During SIT, therapists teach clients to recognize triggering situations and develop coping skills that can help them when they encounter those triggers in the future.

When Is Stress Inoculation Training Used?

Stress inoculation training is commonly used in treating anxiety and anxiety-related disorders.

Source

Get in