The Whole-Person Model of Stress and Wellness: A Pediatric Residency Application

• In Event: Communication, Mental Health and Well-Being

Abstract

The aim of our paper is to propose a whole-person model of stress and wellness. Guided by the theoretical underpinnings of Boss’s (2002) ABC-X stress model and Scarduzio and Geist-Martin’s (2016) whole-person approach, we critique and adapt these frameworks to explain the complexities of stress and wellness processes at multiple communication levels. By analyzing data from a pediatric hospital, we will demonstrate how researchers can examine employees’ stress and coping behaviors, as well as the effectiveness of an organization’s physical, psychological, social, and/or spiritual resources on employees’ coping behaviors. It is through an evaluation of these processual components that researchers can gain a more complete understanding of how, and to what effect, organizations communicate a whole-person status to employees.

Authors

• Millie A. Harrison, The University of Texas at Austin

• Yaguang Zhu, The U of Texas at Austin