Does Commuting Stress on Workdays Decrease with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Abstract

Introduction Commuting is a daily activity for many working individuals and has been associated with stress and reduced well-being. Most studies on commuting stress relied on a single-time assessment of stress levels and related factors in commuting workers. In contrast, we measured current stress levels eight times a day over an eight-week period. This allowed to obtain a dynamic picture of stress development and gave us better insight into the effectiveness of CBT in alleviating its symptoms. Therefore, in this study, it was examined whether (1) individuals experience stress during their workday commutes and (2) these stress levels change over an eight-week period in response to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Method A total of 61 participants (46 females) were recruited for an experience sampling methodology (ESM) study over an eight-week period. As part of a broader stress recovery study (MiBiChroSt) involving CBT, digital phenotyping, momentary stress and well-being assessments, information on commuting was collected. In light of the momentary data collection, ESM questions were administered eight times per day. Participants reported their stress levels (“How high was your stress level just before now?”), well-being (“I am feeling good,” “I am on top of the world”), and commuting (“I was using public transport, car, or bike just before this moment”) on a 7-point Likert scale (stress and well-being items) or a binary yes/no response (commuting mode). An evening questionnaire confirmed workdays. These assessments thus captured commuting-related stress. Additionally, the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) was administered on a weekly basis to evaluate overall stress. Data collected on weekdays that could be linked to commuting was selected for data analyses. Results Data analyses are currently underway and will focus on changes between the first and final week of the assessments to determine changes in stress levels linked to commuting on work days. Planned statistical analyses include paired t-tests and mixed-effects models to assess changes in commuting-related stress and well-being over time. Descriptive statistics will be reported for initial trends in commuting and overall stress, and linear mixed models will be used to evaluate whether commuting and overall stress improved from the first to the final week. Discussion This study will contribute to the understanding of commuting stress and its potential reduction through psychological interventions. If results indicate a reduction in commuting stress, this suggests benefits from CBT in fostering stress adaptation and improved coping mechanisms. Alternatively, if stress remains stable or worsens, this would underscore the persistent nature of commuting-related stress despite intervention. This would call for more attention to commuting stress for establishing work-life wellbeing. Therefore, the findings may have implications for workplace interventions, mental health support, and transportation policies. For future studies, moderating factors such as commuting mode (active versus passive transport) and commuting duration should be explored. Finally, more males should be included in the assessments. Keywords: commuting stress, well-being, experience sampling method (ESM), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) Conflict of interest: The MiBiChroSt project was funded by Sony. However, there are no financial or proprietary gains associated with the abstract.