ABSTRACT
A little more than a decade ago reviews of the respite research that had been conducted up to that time were published (Eden, 2001a, 2001b). The present chapter summarizes briefly what we knew then and reviews, but does not exhaust, what we have learned since. Spawned from methodological considerations, respite research had expanded into research on a variety of off-the-job respites including forced leave due to computer shutdowns, holidays, vacations, semester breaks, reserve military duty, and business trips. Since then research has waxed both in volume and in variety. Researchers have studied the effects of short respites such as evenings and weekends at home and of much longer respites, namely, a year-long sabbatical leave. Furthermore, researchers have expanded the methods beyond comparing individuals before and after respites from work to colleagues that remain at work using interrupted time-series survey designs to diary analysis. Using more articulated data collection methods, researchers have begun learning about the importance of what happens during the respite: how, where, and with whom off-the-job respite time is spent. Finally, respite research has been enriched by broader theoretical conceptualization leading to greater understanding and initial notions about practical applications to capitalize on respite’s potential benefits. Suggestions for advancing future research into such issues as the respite–work–family interface and application of experimental design to issues such as respite length, timing, frequency, and content are provided.
