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| Anger Management, A Cost Saving Intervention |
| By George Anderson |
| Published: 01/09/2003 |
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An organization or individual's investment in anger management is not a cost; instead, it is a savings. One of the unexpected consequences of the 9-11 attacks is an increase in stress, fear, depression, irritability and anger. This has resulted in an increase in road rage, desk rage (office conflict) and person-directed aggression in interpersonal relationships. According to researchers from the Rand Corporation and the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, the impact of these attacks was independent of the proximity to New York and Washington, D.C. (New England Journal of Medicine, Feb., 2001) In addition to lowering staff morale and increasing interpersonal conflicts, aggression or violence in the workplace increases accidents and reduces performance. Anger is a secondary emotion. There is always some other event or trigger, which occurs before anger is experienced. Often fear, grief, depression or stress comes before we feel anger. Therefore, the person experiencing the anger must be taught to recognize the situations and events that precede anger in their lives and develop strategies to appropriately respond. In the case of the 9/11 attacks, it was fear and helplessness, which triggered anger. Whether it is the effects of 9/11 or the holidays, it is worthwhile for any institution to evaluate the behavior of staff and others and uncover areas that may need improvement. The Canadian Bureau of Corrections is one agency that has taken anger management seriously in terms of tis inmate population. A 10-week anger management program was the focus of evaluation. The program was developed to address anger control problems among violent inmates who had a propensity for acting out violently against other people and/or property. In the initial four-week section, each participant completed a workbook, kept an anger log and met with a counselor. The participant then entered a six-week group program with intensive training in relaxation therapy, stress management, conflict resolution and cognitive therapy, which examines the participant's errors in thinking, irrational beliefs and negative self-talk. This anger management treatment program produced significant changes. Such programs can be effective in two ways: they instill a non-hostile, problem solving approach to conflict in interpersonal relationships. They can also teach individuals to reduce anger arousal and to develop conscious control over anger arousing thought patterns. (Anger Management in the Prison: An Evaluation, D. Hunter, Jan. 1993) Other Canadian and U.S. studies have demonstrated that anger management intervention significantly reduces recidivism and misconduct of inmates with a history of person-directed violence. Consequently, the cost to society far outweighs the investment in this intervention. On the staff side, recent research into the effectiveness of anger management intervention conducted for the United States Postal Services, Los Angeles District demonstrated a major costs savings of $1.7 million dollars in a twelve-month period. These savings resulted from a decrease in sick time usage, reduction in interpersonal conflicts, improvement in staff morale and a decrease in workplace accidents. The approaches used to accomplish these results included training managers and supervisors at the Los Angeles Postal District how to recognize and appropriately refer troubled employees to the Employee Assistance Program. They were also taught how to monitor the employees' work performance, attendance and work relationships with the goal of maintaining the skills acquired from the anger management classes. The EAP counselors were instructed in techniques to more effectively assess troubled employees relative to aggressive behavior, substance abuse and depression. In addition, they received training in a psycho-educational model of anger management intervention. This model relies heavily on the use of client workbooks, videos, anger logs and specific training in emotional intelligence, anger management, stress management and communications. Of the managers who participated in the study, 46 chose to take a 10-week anger management program in order to better manage their own stress, anger and depressive behaviors. Once they completed the anger management class, their referrals to the employee assistance program increased by 226%. This finding demonstrated the degree to which the managers and supervisors benefited from their anger management training. In lieu of disciplinary action, employees experiencing interpersonal conflicts at work were given an option of attending a 10-session anger management class on company time, or suspension. All employees during the pilot project chose anger management and clearly benefited from the classes. No matter what the agency, getting a hold on anger management seems to clearly have its advantages. About the Author George Anderson, MSW, L.C.S.W. is a Board Certified Diplomate in Psychotherapy. His consulting group, Anderson & Anderson, provides staff training, classes and workbooks in anger management. For information, visit http://www.andersonservices.com. |
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