Short Vacation Improves Stress-Level and Well-Being in German-Speaking Middle-Managers—A Randomized Controlled Trial

Cornelia Blank, Katharina Gatterer, Veronika Leichtfried, Doris Pollhammer, Maria Mair-Raggautz, Stefan Duschek, Egon Humpeler and Wolfgang Schobersberger
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Cornelia Blank: Department of Psychology and Medical Sciences, Institute of Sports Medicine, Alpine Medicine & Health Tourism, UMIT, 6060 Hall in Tirol, Austria
Katharina Gatterer: Department of Psychology and Medical Sciences, Institute of Sports Medicine, Alpine Medicine & Health Tourism, UMIT, 6060 Hall in Tirol, Austria
Veronika Leichtfried: Department of Psychology and Medical Sciences, Institute of Sports Medicine, Alpine Medicine & Health Tourism, UMIT, 6060 Hall in Tirol, Austria
Doris Pollhammer: Department of Psychology and Medical Sciences, Institute of Sports Medicine, Alpine Medicine & Health Tourism, UMIT, 6060 Hall in Tirol, Austria
Maria Mair-Raggautz: Department of Psychology and Medical Sciences, Institute of Sports Medicine, Alpine Medicine & Health Tourism, UMIT, 6060 Hall in Tirol, Austria
Stefan Duschek: Department of Psychology and Medical Sciences, Institute of Psychology, UMIT, 6060 Hall in Tirol, Austria
Egon Humpeler: IHS Forschungsinstitut für Urlaubs- und Freizeitmedizin Sowie Gesundheitstourimsus, 6900 Bregenz, Austria
Wolfgang Schobersberger: Department of Psychology and Medical Sciences, Institute of Sports Medicine, Alpine Medicine & Health Tourism, UMIT, 6060 Hall in Tirol, Austria

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Stress in the work place has a detrimental effect on people’s health. Sufficient recovery is necessary to counteract severe chronic negative load reactions. Previous research has shown that vacationing for at least seven consecutive days provided an efficient recovery strategy. Yet, thus far, the effects of short vacations and the mode of vacation (whether at home or in a new environment) have rarely been studied. We investigated the immediate and long-term effects of a short vacation (four nights) on well-being and perceived stress and whether the mode of vacation impacted on these results. Data was obtained from 40 middle managers (67.5% men and 32.5% women). The intervention group ( n = 20) spent a short vacation in a hotel outside their usual environment. The control group ( n = 20) spent their vacation at home. Results indicated that one single short-term vacation, independent of the mode, has large, positive and immediate effects on perceived stress, recovery, strain, and well-being. Strain levels decreased to a greater extent in the intervention group compared to the control group. The effects can still be detected at 30 days (recovery) and 45 days (well-being and strain) post-vacation. Encouraging middle management employees to take short vacations seems to be an efficient health promotion strategy; environmental effects seem to play a minor role.

Keywords: Health Tourism; well-being; recovery; middle management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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