Stress Inoculation training (SIT)

• What is SLT

  A stress management tool, which helps people identify stressors, develop skills to cope with them, and then practise the skills in real life situations.
• 'Inoculation':

  ·         Vaccination, immunisation

  ·         Meichenbaum and Cameron (1973)

  ·         SIT is designed to protect us against stressors before they happen

  ·         We learn skills to cope with stressors, and then apply them when we encounter stressors in future
• What is it?:

  ·         A version of CBT designed to target stress

  ·         Cognitive- tackles how we think

  ·         Behavioural- aims to change our behaviour

  ·         9-12 sessions over 2-3 months, but this is dependent on the client

  ·         Split into 3 sections
• 1st phase: Cognitive preparation:

  ·         Therapist as a coach/facilitator

  ·         Works best when client and therapist work in ‘warm collaboration’

  ·         Work together to identify stressors

  ·         Changing thinking about stressors, e.g; seeing them as challenges, not threats

  ·         Breaking down overwhelming stressors into smaller parts to tackle
• 2nd phase: Skill acquisition- (cognitive)

  ·         Choose skills based on clients’ needs

  ·         Toolbox of skills:

  ·         Relaxation: eg breathing exercises

  ·         Social skills- eg making small talk

  ·         Time management

  ·         Communication

  ·         Cognitive restructuring (thinking about stressful situations more positively, challenging distorted thinking)

  ·         Often uses self-talk: coping self-statements- ‘you’re in control, don’t panic’.
• 2nd Phase: Skill acquisition- (behavioural)

  ·         Behavioural: Practise skills in therapy, visualise role play etc- safe environment to practise, modelled by therapist.
• 3rd phase: Application and follow through

  ·         Transferring new skills to real world

  ·         Homework- set by therapist can then be discussed in next sessions (personal experiments)

  ·         Chance to trial coping strategies in real life situations

  ·         Stages- progression of stressful situation.

  ·         Relapse prevention-

  ·         Setbacks are inevitable

  ·         Learn to cope with setbacks

  ·         View setbacks as temporary learning opportunities

  ·         Learn that success is down to their own skills, not due to luck or chance.
• Strengths of SIT

  ·         Research found to be effective- Sheehy and Horan used it on law students and found it reduced anxiety levels and academic performance

  ·         It’s flexible- tailored to client (wide choice of tools)

  ·         Can be adapted for online use.
• Weaknesses of SIT

  ·         Needs high commitment and motivation from client and many people leave it part way through

  ·         Not everyone is good at self-reflection

  ·         Can be considered unnecessarily complicated, is SIT just positive thinking, which could be delivered in a simpler way

  ·         We don’t always know which techniques/tools are working.