We propose a long-term evaluation of a recently-completed theory-driven preventive intervention and a heuristically-oriented set of case studies of subjects that participated in the study. The intervention focused on building job seeking skills and stress inoculation as proposed by the work of Janis and of Meichenbaum. It was aimed at promoting and maintaining mental health, protecting cognitions relevant to motivation, internal control, and promoting re-employment among the recently unemployed. Stress inoculation refers to a process by which trust is established through referent power of the counselor/trainer, self-esteem is raised, coping skills are developed, and inoculation against setbacks is established through rehearsal and anticipation of how to overcome them. Short term evaluation provided evidence that the intervention was successful in meeting its goals. Beneficial consequences of remaining in the intervention, rather than opting out of it, were particularly apparent for less educated persons. It is important now to determine whether the demonstrated short- term effects persist and even increase over the long-term. The study designed produced data from 1087 adults between 18 and 65 who were randomized into experimental and control groups, or refused to participate in the intervention. The data were collected at pretest (t1), within 4 months of job loss, and again, at time 2, and time 3, one and four months after the intervention. Also available are reliable process measures collected during the intervention on the subjects' experiences and involvement and on their effects at the end of the intervention.
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