Tag: College

Social Anxiety & Work in College Students

Worrying About Work

Josh Ramirez & Josh Lustick

aerial view of people sitting down near table with assorted laptop computers

College students experience increased focus on career training and development throughout their educational journeys.  For many, this may result in significant stress related to exploring job options, securing a position, and understanding the norms and expectations associated with their chosen career fields.  This stress can be exacerbated for students who experience anxiety, depression, or other mental health symptoms.  While students typically have access to career and counseling services provided by their college or university, these resources may not be utilized by those who experience social anxiety for a variety of reasons.  The following outlines Worrying About Work, a self-help workbook designed at assisting students who are experiencing work-related distress to manage their symptoms through a variety of activities and resources.  Further, the workbook can be used individually, with a trained counselor, or as a starting point for students who seek to enter counseling.

Social Justice Needs: Economic and Personal Toll of Stress

According to the American Institute of Stress (2019), 83% of workers suffer from work-related stress. This stress results in roughly 1 million workers missing work each day. These workers might be staying home in order to finish work that they’re behind on, to avoid a conflict, or they could be taking a much needed break, but regardless of the reason, this stress results in up to $300 billion in losses each year (American Institute of Stress, 2019). Depression that forms from stress is a large factor as it has lead to $51 billion in losses and $26 billion in treatment costs. The economic loss is far from the worst outcome, however. The American Institute of Stress (2019) also notes that work-related stress causes upward of 120,000 deaths each year.

Although there are large consequences of work-related stress and anxiety, these feelings are experienced at the individual level. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (n.d.)  states that 7.1% of adults meet the criteria for social anxiety, and this social anxiety can exacerbate work-related stress further. Social anxiety has notable work-related outcomes such as trouble dealing with problems, difficulty maintaining work relationships, issues with setting and meeting deadlines, and periodically leading workers to turning down promotions (National Institute of Mental Health, 2017). With economic and personal impacts this large there is a need for resources to help address the social anxiety that many Americans experience. Penn State Harrisburg’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is aware of the struggles its students have with social anxiety and stress in the work place and worked collaboratively in the completion of Worrying About Work.

Theoretical Rationale: Theory of Work Adjustment

The Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) states that differing values between the worker and the workplace leads to disequilibrium. It is this disequilibrium that leads to the work-related stress and anxiety that is experienced by millions workers on a daily basis. Their work may require things such as public speaking and high levels of personal work that some may be uncomfortable with, so the more they engage in these activities the worse they may feel. In order to address this disequilibrium, TWA offers three approaches: find a new job, change the environment, and change the self.  Changing the self is the approach that Worrying About Work focuses on.

TWA refers to changing the self as reactive adjustment, and given the nature of social anxiety and many jobs this is believed to be the best approach. Social anxiety could hinder reactive adjustment as some may not feel comfortable due to a lack of coping strategies or difficulties being with assertive. Further, some jobs have features that you simply cannot change. Lawyers often engage in public speaking and police officers typically need to be confrontational, so it is unlikely that these work environments would be changeable. To account for these difficulties, Worrying About Work aims to address the inner causes of anxiety and stress in order to restore the imbalance that has lead to disequilibrium. Worrying About Work utilizes techniques that research has shown to have a substantial impact on social anxiety and stress such as assertiveness training exercises, mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, and psychoeducation (Aldao et al., 2014; Goldin et al., 2010; Lock, 2016).

Resources Needed

Resources required for implementing and utilizing Worrying About Work include (1) college or university counseling office space for conducting counseling sessions with workbooks and/or displaying workbooks for student access, (2) electronic devices (e.g., computer, tablet, smartphone, etc.) with internet access to download digital copies of the Worrying About Work workbook, (3) printer or copier to produce print copies of workbook, (4) writing materials (e.g., pens, pencils, etc.), (5) trained, well-qualified counselors to present workbook with students and explain its contents, direct students to further resources, and/or to work with students on workbooks in individual counseling, if desired, and (6) time – for training staff with workbook, completing workbooks with clients in counseling, and/or allowing students to complete workbook on their own.

Delivering Services

To deliver services, college counseling centers should first upload the digital copy of Worrying About Work to their resources webpage, as well as produce print copies, if desired.  Then, centers should find appropriate places to display the physical copies of the workbooks, such as in the counseling and/or career services offices.  Counseling staff should be trained on the workbook’s contents and its intended uses, as well as appropriate career and counseling theories and practice.  Counselors then should be encouraged to share the workbook with current and/or potential clients with whom it may be beneficial.  Additional staff working in the counseling/career centers (e.g., receptionist, office manager, etc.), should also be able to direct students inquiring about resources, but not seeking individual counseling, to the physical and digital copies of the workbooks.  This allows for the workbook to be made available for students either to complete individually or with a trained counselor.

Expected Outcomes: A Reduction in Anxiety

Expected outcomes for successful implementation of Worrying About Work with students include self-reported increases in usage of positive, effective coping skills for anxiety symptoms, levels of assertiveness and communicative skills, and knowledge of rights and responsibilities as a worker.  Additionally, reductions are expected in self-reported anxiety symptoms by students in counseling and the amount of students receiving counseling services for anxiety related to work.  To measure outcomes, counseling centers should develop and distribute a self-report questionnaire regarding the workbook and its effectiveness to students in counseling and those who have accessed it without counseling services.  Questionnaires can be distributed either physically via print copies or digitally via email link, and contain questions to assess students’ ratings on the workbooks’ contents, presentation, relevance to their lives, and impact on symptoms/overall functioning.  Both open- and closed-ended questions can be utilized to acquire qualitative and quantitative data.  Modifications and additions to the workbook can be made as deemed appropriate following analysis of the data from completed questionnaires.

Finished Product

Worrying About Work is a free, self-help workbook aimed at addressing social anxiety and stress in the workplace. Resources are provided at the end of the workbook for those who may desire additional help with their anxiety and stress. You got this!

Worrying About Work

three people sitting in front of table, working on computers, and laughing together

References

Aldao, A., Jazaieri, H., Goldin, P. R., & Gross, J. J. (2014). Adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies: Interactive effects during CBT for social anxiety disorder.Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 28(4), 382-389. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.03.005

American Institute of Stress (2019). 42 worrying workplace stress statistics. https://www.stress.org/42-worrying-workplace-stress-statistics

Anxiety and Depression Association of America (n.d.). Retrieved from https://adaa.org/managing-stress-anxiety-in-workplace/anxiety-disorders-in-workplace

Belmont, J. (2016). 150 more group therapy activities & tips (p. 61). PESI Publishing & Media.

Belmont, J. (2016). 150 more group therapy activities & tips (p. 70). PESI Publishing & Media.

Belmont, J. (2016). 150 more group therapy activities & tips (p. 205). PESI Publishing & Media.

Belmont, J. (2016). 150 more group therapy activities & tips (p. 206). PESI Publishing & Media.

Goldin, P. R., & Gross, J. J. (2010). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder.Emotion, 10(1), 83-91. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1037/a0018441

Lock, A. (2016, November 18). Overcoming social anxiety through assertive communication. National Social Anxiety Center. https://nationalsocialanxietycenter.com/2016/11/18/overcoming-social-anxiety-through-assertive-communication/

McKay, M., Wood, J.C., & Brantley, J. (2019). The dialectical behavior therapy skills workbook: Practical DBT exercises for learning mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation & distress tolerance (2nd ed., pp. 18-20). New Harbringer Publications, Inc.

McKay, M., Wood, J.C., & Brantley, J. (2019). The dialectical behavior therapy skills workbook: Practical DBT exercises for learning mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation & distress tolerance (2nd ed., pp. 94-106). New Harbringer Publications, Inc.

McKay, M., Wood, J.C., & Brantley, J. (2019). The dialectical behavior therapy skills workbook: Practical DBT exercises for learning mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation & distress tolerance (2nd ed., pp. 176-177). New Harbringer Publications, Inc.

National Institute of Mental Health (2017). Social Anxiety Disorder. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/social-anxiety-disorder.shtml

Phifer, L.W., Crowder, A.K., Elsenraat, R., & Hull, R. (2017). CBT toolbox for children and adolescents (p. 172). PESI Publishing & Media.

Phifer, L.W., Crowder, A.K., Elsenraat, R., & Hull, R. (2017). CBT toolbox for children and adolescents (p. 180). PESI Publishing & Media.

Phifer, L.W., Crowder, A.K., Elsenraat, R., & Hull, R. (2017). CBT toolbox for children and adolescents (p. 181). PESI Publishing & Media.

Career Guidance for Youth

Big Brothers Big Sisters: A Post-High School Resource Guide

By: Jennifer L. Finn and Mike P. Posteraro Jr.

This project aimed to provide a step-by-step guide for high school students to ease the burden on figuring out post-high school plans. Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Harrisburg makes it their mission to “create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships” for their youth. It cannot be assumed that all teens have access to the resources they need to navigate the uncertainty of post high school planning. Therefore by providing a resource manual with steps needed to successfully narrow down an individual’s interests and meet the requirements of each of the three most common post high school paths, we felt that we could account for this need.

Social Justice Needs: Inner City Youth of Harrisburg

(Data USA, 2020)

Big Brothers/Big Sisters (BBBS) provides mentorship to children between the ages of 6 to 18, who need positive role models, to help them realize their potential and build their futures (Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, 2020). Within the workplace, having a childhood ethical role models were the most commonly reported type of ethical role model by ethical leaders, and childhood modeling showed the strongest positive relation on ethical leadership (Brown & Treviño, 2014). According to Big Brothers/Big Sisters, studies show that children who have role models are more likely to improve in school and in their relationships with family and friends. They also state that children with role models are less likely to skip school, use illegal drugs or alcohol, drop out of school, or commit crimes (Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, 2020). Researchers found that mentors show a strong net influence on educational success for children and youth (Erickson et al., 2009). Mentors provide positive effects on successful health promotion and overweight prevention interventions for low-income, African American adolescents residing within urban communities (Black et al., 2012). This is important because Harrisburg city’s population is made up of 51.8% of Black or African Americans (United States Census Bureau, 2020), the median household income in Harrisburg, PA is $35,300, the median property value is $82,100, and the poverty rate is 29.9% (Data USA, 2020). At the same time, only 72.10% of Black or African American children in PA graduate from high school compared to 92.5% for Asians and 90.4% for Whites (Department of Education, 2020). Also, only 20.2% of adolescents in Harrisburg, PA graduate from a 4-year college (United States Census Bureau, 2020).

(Data USA, 2020)

 

Big Brothers/Big Sisters’ programs include community-based mentorship consisting of one-on-one activities with children, school-based, helping children with incarcerated parents, children of military families, and a “Bigs in Blue” programs involving one-on-one mentorship connecting children and youth with police in their communities (Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, 2020). After they stated that they needed a resource guide to provide a template on how to pursue their post-high school aspirations, we got to work because resources are one of the many aspects that impacts the effectiveness of mentorship (Erickson et al., 2009). Subsequently, the Big Brother/Big Sisters Resource Guide was born.

 

Theoretical Rationale: Holland & Super

The two career theories that align with this resource guide and our population’s needs are Holland’s Theory & Super’s Life-Span, Life Space Theory.

Holland’s theory postulates that there are six personality types – Realist, Investigative, Artistic, Enterprising, and Conventional (RIASEC). Holland also talks about a term called consistency where he assumes that people want their highest personality types to be adjacent to each other. So, when people take an interest assessment, similar to the one included in our guide, they want their personality types to be next to each other. Another assumption is that people search for environments that suit their interests. Furthermore, Holland asserts that people strive for congruence, which is the degree of match between a person’s personality type and environment’s personality. Interventions include receiving feedback from one’s environment to discover interest/preferred activities and competence and getting students to think about their interests and careers. Conversely, Holland believed that people’s personalities stay the same and he didn’t explicitly provide a guide on how to offer support guidance (Department of Education, 2020).

Super’s Life-Span, Life Space theory supplements the facets that Holland didn’t explain. Super’s theory professes that people’s personalities, abilities, values, self-concept, and preferred occupations. Simultaneously, Super coined the term “career maturity.” This refers to one’s decision-making readiness in childhood and adolescence. Incidents that can affect career maturity include language barriers, trauma, socialization, and available resources.

Additionally, Super stated that one’s (Jones, 2019) vocational development is dependent on their self-concept, which is developed through experience and over time. Furthermore, Super postulated that people progress through life stages. During the growth stage, adolescents learn decision-making and competence. During the exploration stage, people develop a realistic self-concept and explore occupations. Interventions operate under the concept that people prefer careers in which they can find satisfaction in expressing themselves and develop their self-concept. They include helping students identify and set goals, clarify their self-concept, and expose them to a plethora of careers – Providing resources and knowledge of career choices (Department of Education, 2020).

Resources You’ll Need

The biggest thing you will need for the resource manual is a computer with internet access in order to access the required sites that are noted in the resource guide. Depending on the route the client decides to take, will dictate the resources they will need to utilize. For the college route, access to collegeboard for SAT registration will be essential. Though, this resource will not be relevant for the trade school or military route. The college route will also require access to PHEAA, FAFSA, the commonapp, and the specific university of interest’s website. The trade school route will also require access to PHEAA and FAFSA, but in addition will require access to tradeschool.net and the trade school of interest’s website. Lastly, the military route will require a different direction for internet. For an individual that chooses to enter a branch of the military, they will need to utilize the listed websites in the manual in order to obtain recruiter information for the specific branch. Information on the requirements for these specific branches will note additional websites needed to apply.  Other materials will include access to study materials such as SAT prep books, ASVAB study materials, and a gym membership for military fitness exams.

Delivering to Big Brothers Big Sisters

Prior to the COVID-19 quarantine, the initial plan for delivering the resource manual to BBBS was through an in-person experience. We aimed to meet with Amy Rote and some of the available teens to present a kit that included a printed and bounded

(BBBS, 2020)

copy of the resource manual, Penn State stress balls, and motivational quotes.Though, the sanctions of quarantine made this plan unfeasible. Therefore, we opted for a digital delivery of the manual to Amy Rote via email upon the completion of the final project. We also included information of social justice needs and theoretical rationale behind our manual for her to use when she presents the resource manual to mentors and mentees.

Expected Outcomes

In order to track the outcomes and impact of our resource guide, a longitudinal study or retrospective study would be best to measure this data accurately. We would need to keep track of who utilizes the resource manual as a post high school planning tool and follow up with them after their post-high school planning was complete and they had begun whatever post high school endeavor they chose. This retrospective study would evaluate the ease of comprehension, the usefulness, and the accuracy of the resource manual when initiating post high school plans. A longitudinal study would be a good way to track the success rate of students who utilized the resource manual versus students who had not utilized the resource manual.

The Resource Manual

Resource Guide Spring 2020

References
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. (2020). About us. https://www.bbbs.org/about-us/
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. (2020). Programs. https://www.bbbs.org/programs/
Black, M., Arteaga, S., Sanders, J., Hager, E., Anliker, J., Gittelsohn, J., & Wang, Y. (2012). College mentors: A view
from the inside of an intervention to promote health behaviors and prevent obesity among low-income, urban, African American adolescents. Health Promotion Practice, 13(2), 238-244. https://www-jstor-org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/stable/26739556
Brown, M., & Treviño, L. (2014). Do role models matter? An investigation of role modeling as an antecedent of
perceived ethical leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 122(4), 587-598. https://www.jstor.org/stable/42921459
Data USA. (2020). Harrisburg, PA. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/harrisburg-pa/
Department of Education. (2020). Cohort Graduation Rate.
https://www.education.pa.gov/DataAndReporting/CohortGradRate/Pages/default.aspx
Department of Education. (2020). Overview of career developmental theories.
https://www.education.pa.gov/Documents/K12/Career%20and%20Technical%20Education/CEWStandards/Resources/Pedagogy/Overview%20of%20Holland%20Bandura%20and%20Super.pdf
Erickson, L., McDonald, S., & Elder, G. (2009). Informal mentors and education: Complementary or compensatory
resources? Sociology of Education, 82(4), 344-367. www.jstor.org/stable/40376056
Jones, S. (2019). Mentorship in business and life. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesmarketplace/2019/04/26/mentorship-in-business-
and-in-life-2/#27f01a535699
Smith, P. J. (2009). The impact of childhood health on adult labor market outcomes. The Review of Economics and
Statistics, 91(3), 478-480. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25651
United States Census Bureau. (2020). Quick facts Harrisburg city, Pennsylvania.
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/harrisburgcitypennsylvania