| Abstract: | Reviews the book Stress Inoculation Training (1985) by D. Meichenbaum. This relatively brief book provides a worthwhile and practical overview of stress inoculation training (SIT). The book is organized into seven chapters. In the first chapter, the conceptual basis of stress inoculation is presented and the transactional nature of stress is described. Chapter 2 presents clinical guidelines for stress management programs. Meichenbaum contends that mental health professionals often intervene without an adequate understanding of the client's problem and the process of change. Chapter 3 provides an overview of the SIT process. This includes three phases: (a) conceptualization, (b) skills acquisition and rehearsal, (c) application and follow-through. A summary of populations with which SIT has been used is also presented. Chapter 4 details the conceptualization phase of SIT. This phase focuses on establishing a collaborative relationship with the client, determining the nature of the client's problem, and helping the client to understand the nature and effects of stress. Chapter 5 focuses on the skill acquisition and rehearsal phase of SIT. The coping skills that are trained during this phase should appear to be a natural outgrowth of the reconceptualization process. Chapter 6 describes the application and follow-through phase of SIT. The goal of this phase is to help clients implement coping responses outside of the training sessions. In the last chapter, applications of SIT to varied populations are described and discussed. This book does not contain an in-depth critical review of SIT research. However, this book does provide an excellent overview of clinical, practical issues, and guidelines related to SIT training. It contains a variety of implementation tactics not found in other publications on SIT. In general, the book sets forth an excellent state-of-the-art presentation of SIT implementation issues and guidelines for use of SIT in professional practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
