The reduction of stress reactivity resulting from stress management interventions prevents disorders and improves mental health, however, its long-term sustainability has been little examined. The objective of this study was, therefore, to determine the effectiveness of a stress management intervention, designed to improve stress reactivity, for mental health and sleep problems seven years later, using longitudinal data from 101 male industrial workers. Linear regressions estimated the adjusted effects of the changes in stress reactivity in general as well as in its six subdimensions (work overload, social conflict, social stress, failure at work, and anticipatory and prolonged reactivity) on depression, anxiety, and sleep problems seven years later. The improvement of the prolonged reactivity had positive effects on depression, anxiety, and sleep problems (unstandardized regression coefficients [Bs] ≥ 0.35, all p-values ≤ 0.01). Depression and sleep problems were further improved by a reduction of the reactivity to social conflicts (Bs ≥ 0.29, p-values < 0.05), and an improvement in the overall reactivity score positively influenced sleep problems (B = 0.07, p = 0.017). In conclusion, the improvement of stress reactivity resulting from a work stress intervention was effective and generally long-lasting in preventing mental health and sleep problems. The reduction of the prolonged reactivity seems of particular importance and efficient in inhibiting negative stress manifestations.

Noise action planning according to the EU Environmental Noise Directive aims to improve people's health. Although health inequalities exist, the Directive does not address social inequalities in residential exposure to road traffic noise. In multivariate regression analyses based on two urban study populations, we assess the relationship between objective and subjective indicators of residential exposure to road traffic noise as an issue of environmental justice. Residential neighbourhood satisfaction, socio-demographic and -economic, health-related and noise-related attitudinal factors were included as covariates additionally explaining the subjective response to road traffic noise (noise annoyance). Our results underline the need to select, operationalise and examine noise-related indicators very carefully, as objective noise exposure predicts noise annoyance insufficiently. Otherwise, urban environmental planning might miss environmentally unjust situations and fail to initiate distributive and procedural environmental justice.

Objective Short- and medium-term effectiveness (up to 3 years) of individual level stress management interventions (SMI) at work were demonstrated, yet long-term effectiveness remains unexplored. We therefore aimed to address this research gap. Methods 94 male middle managers participated in a randomized wait-list controlled trial between 2006 and 2008 and in a post-trial-follow-up survey in 2015. During the first two years, all received an 18-hour psychotherapeutic SMI intervention which was based on the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) model: tackling stressor on mismatch between effort and reward and promoting recovery on overcommitment. Work stress (i.e., ERI indicators) was the primary outcome, and the secondary outcome was depressive symptoms. The long-term effectiveness of the SMI was examined by mixed modeling, using an external control group (n = 94). Results Effort and reward were substantially improved with significant intervention ⁎ time interaction effects (p < 0.001) compared to the external control group; effects on overcommitment and depressive symptoms were also significant (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, resp.), though their trajectories in the intervention group were less sustainable. Conclusions The effectiveness of this psychotherapeutic SMI at work based on the ERI model was observed over a 9-year period, particularly on the effort-reward ratio.