Normalizing in student counseling: Counselors’ responses to students’ problem descriptions

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimmo Svinhufvud ◽  
Liisa Voutilainen ◽  
Elina Weiste
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
University Students ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Academic Skills ◽  
Student Counseling

University students seek counseling to discuss concerns about their academic skills, motivation, time management and well-being. This article examines the conversational activity of normalizing recurrently used by counselors to manage students’ negative emotions and troubles-telling. Normalizing refers to an activity in which something in the interaction is made normal by labeling it ‘normal’ or ‘commonplace’ or by interpreting it in an ordinary way. Three uses for normalizing were identified in a sample of 16 videotaped counseling sessions: (1) supporting the student’s position, (2) challenging the student and (3) presenting the student’s problem as workable. We argue that normalizing is a means of addressing students’ problematic emotions and offering support, yet in a way that maintains an orientation toward problem solving. Furthermore, while normalizing seems to serve affiliation, suggesting that the problems are not unique, it can be treated either as delicate or as problematic by the counselors and by the students.

scholarly journals Social problem solving as a mediator and a moderator of the link between stress and psychological well-beingStres ve psikolojik iyi olma arasındaki ilişkide sosyal problem çözmenin aracı ve düzenleyici rolü

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fulya Cenkseven Önder ◽  
Engin Eşigül
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
University Students ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Social Problem ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Problem Solving ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Relationship

The main purpose of this was to investigate the role of social problem solving as a mediator or a moderator of percieved stress and psychological well-being in university students. The participants of this study consisted of 350  females and 164 males, a total of 514 university students. Their ages ranged from 18 to 25 years. Data were collected by using the Percieved Stres Inventory (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983), Social Problem Solving Inventory Revised Short Form (D’Zurilla, Nezu, & Maydeu-Olivares, 2002) and Scales of Psychological Well-Being (Ryff, 1989). The results indicated that the percieved stress was negatively correlated with the social problem and the psychological well-being. The social problem solving was positively correlated with the psychological well-being. Hierarchial regression analysis showed that social problem solving partially mediated the relationship between perceived stress and psychological well-being. However, social problem solving did not moderate the relationship between perceived stress and psychological well-being. These findings were discussed in the light of related literature and implications were suggested for future research. ÖzetBu çalışmanın temel amacı üniversite öğrencilerinin algıladıkları stres düzeyleri ile psikolojik iyi olma düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkide sosyal problem çözme becerilerinin aracı ve düzenleyici rolünün incelenmesidir. Araştırma 350’si kadın 164’ü erkek toplam 514 üniversite öğrencisi üzerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmaya katılan öğrenciler 18-25 yaş arasında olup, yaş ortalamaları 20.09’dur (Ss=2.02). Araştırmada veri toplamak amacıyla Algılanan Stres Ölçeği (Cohen, Kamarck ve Mermelstein, 1983), Sosyal Problem Çözme Envanteri Kısa Formu (D’Zurilla, Nezu ve Maydeu-Olivares, 2002) ve Psikolojik İyi Olma Ölçekleri (Ryff, 1989) kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda algılanan stres ile sosyal problem çözme ve psikolojik iyi olma arasında negatif yönde anlamlı, sosyal problem çözme ve psikolojik iyi olma arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı ilişkiler olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Hiyerarşik regresyon analizleri sonucunda sosyal problem çözmenin, algılanan stres ve psikolojik iyi olma arasındaki ilişkide kısmi aracı role sahip iken, düzenleyici bir rolü olmadığı belirlenmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular ilgili alanyazın ve sınırlılıklar ışığında tartışılmış, daha sonra yapılacak çalışmalara ve uygulayıcılara yönelik öneriler sunulmuştur.

scholarly journals Counseling with guided use of a mobile well-being app for students with anxiety or depression: Clinical outcomes of a feasibility trial embedded in a student counseling service (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Broglia ◽  
Abigail Millings ◽  
Michael Barkham
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Feasibility Trial ◽  
Counseling Service ◽  
University Counseling ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Student Counseling

BACKGROUND Anxiety and depression continue to be prominent experiences of students approaching their university counseling service. These services face unique challenges to ensure that they continue to offer quality support to a growing student population and with less resource. The convenience and availability of mobile phone applications (apps) offer innovative solutions to address therapeutic challenges and expand the reach of traditional support. OBJECTIVE The primary aim of this study is to report on the outcomes of a feasibility trial in which guided use of a mobile phone well-being app was introduced into a student counseling service and offered as an adjunct to face-to-face counseling. METHODS The feasibility trial utilised a two-arm, parallel non-randomized design comparing counseling alone (Treatment As Usual) versus counseling supplemented with guided use of a mobile phone well-being app (intervention) for 38 university students experiencing moderate anxiety or depression. Students in both conditions received up to 6 sessions of face-to-face counseling within a 3-month period. Students who approached the counseling service and were accepted for counseling were invited to join the trial. Feasibility factors were evaluated including: recruitment duration, treatment preference, randomization acceptability and intervention fidelity. Clinical outcomes and clinical change were assessed with routine clinical outcome measures administered every counseling session and follow-up phases at 3- and 6-months after recruitment. RESULTS Both groups demonstrated reduced clinical severity by the end of counseling and this was particularly noticeable for depression and social anxiety, whereby students left the clinical boundary they reached at the intake assessment (baseline). By the 6-month follow-up, TAU clients’ (n = 18) anxiety had increased whereas intervention clients’ (n = 20) anxiety continued to reduce and this group difference was significant (GAD-7: (t(22) = 3.46, P = .002). This group difference was not replicated for levels of depression whereby students in both groups continued to reduce their levels of depression by a similar extent at the 6-month follow-up (PHQ-9: t(22) = 1.30, P = .21). CONCLUSIONS Supplementing face-to-face counseling with guided use of a well-being app is a feasible and acceptable treatment option for university students experiencing moderate anxiety or depression. The feasibility trial was successfully embedded into a university counseling service without denying access to treatment and with minimal disruption to the service. This study provides preliminary evidence for using a well-being app to maintain clinical improvements for anxiety following the completion of counseling. The design of the feasibility trial provides the groundwork for the development of future pilot trials and definitive trials embedded in a student counseling service. CLINICALTRIAL Registration: This trial was registered on 20/06/2016 (Ref: ISRCTN55102899)

scholarly journals Promoting university students’ well-being and studying with an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based intervention

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Katajavuori ◽  
Kimmo Vehkalahti ◽  
Henna Asikainen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
University Students ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Study Skills ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Negative Thoughts ◽  
Learning Journals

AbstractStudents’ poor well-being is a serious problem in higher education. In part, this problem is related to the problems in studying as poorer study skills are related to poorer well-being. Both students’ study skills and their well-being should be enhanced in higher education, but effective ways to do this are needed. The aim of this study was to explore students’ experiences of an ACT-based online, 8-week course on university students’ well-being and studying. Data were collected in two ways: a) with qualitative data consisting of learning journals (n = 97) and with b) a pre- and post-questionnaire (n = 143) during the course. The students’ scores on well-being, psychological flexibility, and time and effort management skills improved, and stress levels decreased during the course. Qualitative analyses showed that the students benefited from the course in many ways, both in terms of studying and well-being; their studying and time management skills had improved and they had learnt stress management skills and how to cope with their negative thoughts. We argue that supporting students’ well-being, as well as their study skills with ACT-based course in higher education studies, can lead to more effective studying.

scholarly journals Counseling With Guided Use of a Mobile Well-Being App for Students Experiencing Anxiety or Depression: Clinical Outcomes of a Feasibility Trial Embedded in a Student Counseling Service

10.2196/14318 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. e14318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Broglia ◽  
Abigail Millings ◽  
Michael Barkham
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Feasibility Trial ◽  
Counseling Service ◽  
University Counseling ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Student Counseling

Background Anxiety and depression continue to be prominent experiences of students approaching their university counseling service. These services face unique challenges to ensure that they continue to offer quality support with fewer resources to a growing student population. The convenience and availability of mobile phone apps offer innovative solutions to address therapeutic challenges and expand the reach of traditional support. Objective The primary aim of this study was to establish the feasibility of a trial in which guided use of a mobile phone well-being app was introduced into a student counseling service and offered as an adjunct to face-to-face counseling. Methods The feasibility trial used a two-arm, parallel nonrandomized design comparing counseling alone (treatment as usual, or TAU) versus counseling supplemented with guided use of a mobile phone well-being app (intervention) for 38 university students experiencing moderate anxiety or depression. Students in both conditions received up to 6 sessions of face-to-face counseling within a 3-month period. Students who approached the counseling service and were accepted for counseling were invited to join the trial. Feasibility factors evaluated include recruitment duration, treatment preference, randomization acceptability, and intervention fidelity. Clinical outcomes and clinical change were assessed with routine clinical outcome measures administered every counseling session and follow-up phases at 3 and 6 months after recruitment. Results Both groups demonstrated reduced clinical severity by the end of counseling. This was particularly noticeable for depression, social anxiety, and hostility, whereby clients moved from elevated clinical to low clinical or from low clinical to nonclinical by the end of the intervention. By the 6-month follow-up, TAU clients’ (n=18) anxiety had increased whereas intervention clients’ (n=20) anxiety continued to decrease, and this group difference was significant (Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7: t22=3.46, P=.002). This group difference was not replicated for levels of depression: students in both groups continued to decrease their levels of depression by a similar amount at the 6-month follow-up (Physical Health Questionnaire–9: t22=1.30, P=.21). Conclusion Supplementing face-to-face counseling with guided use of a well-being app is a feasible and acceptable treatment option for university students experiencing moderate anxiety or depression. The feasibility trial was successfully embedded into a university counseling service without denying access to treatment and with minimal disruption to the service. This study provides preliminary evidence for using a well-being app to maintain clinical improvements for anxiety following the completion of counseling. The design of the feasibility trial provides the groundwork for the development of future pilot trials and definitive trials embedded in a student counseling service. Trial registration ISRCTN registry ISRCTN55102899; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN55102899

scholarly journals From Intense to Leisurely Study Days: A Diary Study of Daily Wellbeing among Students in Higher Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 295-311
Author(s):  
Sanna Moilanen ◽  
Laura Autio ◽  
Asko Tolvanen ◽  
Eija Sevón ◽  
Anna Rönkä
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Latent Profile Analysis ◽  
Profile Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Diary Study ◽  
Diary Data

AbstractThis mobile diary study examined day-today variability during one study week among university students and study-related associated factors promoting and impairing their well-being. Specifically, we explored (1) what factors university students consider as promoting and as impairing their daily wellbeing, (2) what types of daily study profiles for students can be identified based on study hours, study motivation, and academic stress, and (3) how the factors promoting and impairing students’ daily wellbeing are related to these daily study profiles. The study utilized one-week mobile diary data collected from 86 university students studying in a Finnish university (a total of 602 measurements). Seven factors promoting and eight factors impairing the wellbeing of students were identified. These included leisure time and domestic duties, social relations, sleep, rest, nutrition, and time management. Using multilevel latent profile analysis, we further identified four distinct daily study profiles: intense, productive, inefficient, and leisurely study days. The results also showed that the various factors promoting and impairing daily wellbeing were differently associated with the four study profiles.

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