Guided Imagery for Enhancing Health and Health Seeking Behaviors of Employees in the Worksetting

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an intervention program in the worksetting using guided imagery to enhance the health and health-seeking behaviors of employees. The health indicators for this study were multidimensional and included the following (a) blood pressure and pulse, (b) personal lifestyle practices, (c) self perception of health, and (d) psychological health status. The relationship and fluctuation of these dependent measures were tracked over a nine month time period. Observations were taken every two weeks from month 1 through the middle of month 5. Two additional data collection time periods were in months 7 and 9.

A convenience sample of 68 subjects was drawn from four separate corporations in Eastern Massachusetts. An attrition rate of 10% resulted in a sample size of n = 27 for the experimental group and n = 34 for the waitlist control group.

The initial results showed that across the ten time periods the experimental group reported significantly more psychological distress in 2 of the 8 psychological categories (a) obsessive-compulsive (p < .047) and (b) positive distress symptoms (p > .02). At the univariate level, the experimental group reported significantly more distress in the following categories (a) depression, (b) paranoid ideation, (c) obsessive-compulsive, and (d) positive symptom total. These group differences occurred at midpoint in the experiment (times 5, 6 and 7). However, during the last four time periods the treatment groups reported psychological distress declined. In addition, at midpoint of the study, the experimental group reported significantly higher scores in the combined multivariate effects of the following categories: (a) anxiety, somatization, and systolic pressure; (b) anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity; and (c) paranoid sensitivity, obsessive-compulsive, and interpersonal sensitivity. Although the treatment subjects' general health perceptions and lifestyle behaviors did not show significant improvement above the controls', during the final phase of the research their perceived health outlook and perceived resistance to illness mean levels did increase.

These results indicated that subjects practicing guided imagery reported an increased awareness to internal cues as well as heightened awareness of their thoughts, feelings, and past events. The practice of guided imagery provided many participants (although not statistically conclusive) with an improved sense of well-being. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)