The development of coping strategies for young people to construct their identity in times of the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a major impact on young people across the world. Many students struggle to complete their studies amidst the pressure of the pandemic and have many difficulties constructing their identity and career which is crucial at this period of life. An overview of the main effects of the pandemic on their identity and career development is presented.Objectives: The first objective is to highlight the challenges faced by youth regarding their identity and career development, particularly the challenges induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The next objective is to explore different strategies that may be implemented to ameliorate the effects of the career shock induced by the pandemic. Lastly, the goal is to propose career guidance and counselling interventions that professionals may utilise to help young adults to cope with the career-related consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.Method: This article was informed by an overview of the current psychosocial literature. Relevant literature was reviewed and critically analysed. It was also informed by the review of an empirical experience with a group of students who kept diaries during pandemic confinement periods.Results: The analysis resulted in three sets of psychosocial strategies that youth can develop in order to face the difficulties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Each set of coping strategies is related to a specific career intervention that may be implemented by career guidance and counselling practitioners.Conclusion: To support the development of adaptive coping strategies for the youth, career and counselling professionals need to address the three main types of challenges that are described.

Exploring support persons' narrative accounts of waiting for lung transplant

Patients must have one designated support person (e.g., family member) provide constant care during the waiting period for lung transplant - this may involve relocation to be within 2.5 hours from the transplant site. There is little research concerning support persons’ experiences of waiting for transplant. This narrative study involving interviews and journaling, framed by the concept of liminality was conducted to explore support persons’ accounts of waiting for lung transplant. Findings indicate that support persons entered into a liminal space where they became focused upon and confined to patients’ routines and needs. The uncertainty of waiting was interwoven with emotions of hope, fear, and isolation. Implications include the need to identify the support person as a care recipient and implement supportive and counselling interventions responsive to their needs. This research also advances the theoretical concept of liminality in illness and provides direction for future research, policy and education

Exploring support persons' narrative accounts of waiting for lung transplant

Patients must have one designated support person (e.g., family member) provide constant care during the waiting period for lung transplant - this may involve relocation to be within 2.5 hours from the transplant site. There is little research concerning support persons’ experiences of waiting for transplant. This narrative study involving interviews and journaling, framed by the concept of liminality was conducted to explore support persons’ accounts of waiting for lung transplant. Findings indicate that support persons entered into a liminal space where they became focused upon and confined to patients’ routines and needs. The uncertainty of waiting was interwoven with emotions of hope, fear, and isolation. Implications include the need to identify the support person as a care recipient and implement supportive and counselling interventions responsive to their needs. This research also advances the theoretical concept of liminality in illness and provides direction for future research, policy and education

Helping actors improve their career well-being

It is generally assumed that visible actors in the performing arts industry maintain overall wellness despite the knowledge that an actor’s life is often characterized by instability. While an actor’s performance is often critiqued subjectively and critically, the variety of occupational risks associated with an actor’s well-being is less closely examined. Prior research suggests those working within the acting profession experience significant levels of distress. As a result, this article, first, aims to address the issues confronting the actor, in particular, anxiety associated with erratic employment, vulnerability to adverse working conditions, and conflict in identity owing to the impact of acting coupled with the effect of economic insecurity. Second, the paper follows with a consideration of key counselling theories to help strengthen this diverse group’s personal well-being and career prospects. By examining counselling interventions, the application of these theories can allow actors to develop optimally in acting industries worldwide.

Well-being of Students Affected by Disaster: A Case Study of 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka

The main objective of the study was to identify the long-term well-being of students affected by the tsunami of December 2004. The specific aims of the study were to evaluate the psychological, social and educational well-being of students affected by the tsunami, 13 years after the tsunami; and to examine the nature of psycho-social counselling and material support and how these services contributed to their well-being. The methods used to gather data were both quantitative and qualitative with purposive sampling, using the class teachers’ nominations. Six school teachers and five counsellors and 43 girls and 42 boys from the Southern Province were enrolled in the study. The results of the study showed how students affected by the tsunami had to face different trauma related experiences such as their family members remaining missing and their family members’ death or injury, although the students themselves had escaped the tidal waves. Thus, the trauma related to experiences of the tsunami caused the students to have many psychological and emotional difficulties. The qualitative results showed that the students had reached a quite satisfactory level of well-being, 13 years after the tsunami. The children had attended psycho-social education awareness programs and received psycho-social “training” and counselling interventions. These were implemented in order to successfully develop the students’ well-being. The findings suggested that the students required further professional counselling services and welfare facilities within the school system and also a drug prevention program in order to further their well-being, based on a long-term plan.

Effect of "motivational interviewing" and "information, motivation and behavioral skills” counselling interventions on choosing the mode of delivery in pregnant women: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Caesarean Section is an important surgical procedure, when normal vaginal delivery imposes a risk to mother and/or baby. The World Health Organization states the ideal rate for Cesarean section to be between 10% and 15% of all births. In recent decades, the rate has been increased dramatically worldwide. This paper explains the protocol of a randomized controlled trial that aims to compare the effect of "motivational interviewing" and "information, motivation, and behavioral skills” counselling interventions on choosing mode of delivery in pregnant women.Methods: A four-armed, parallel-design randomized controlled trial will be conducted on pregnant women. One hundred and twenty women will be randomly assigned to four groups including three intervention groups and one control group. The intervention groups included: 1) motivational interviewing; 2) face-to-face information, motivation, and behavioral skills model; and 3) information, motivation, and behavioral skills model provided using a mobile application. The inclusion criteria include being literate, gestational age from 24 to 32 weeks, being able to speak Persian, having no complications in the current pregnancy, having no indications for Cesarean section, and having enough time to participate in the intervention. The primary outcome of the study is the mode of delivery. The secondary outcomes are women’s intention to undergo Cesarean section, and women’s self-efficacy.Discussion: The interventions of this protocol have been programmed to reduce unnecessary Cesarean sections. Findings may contribute to a rise in normal vaginal delivery; and the effective intervention may be extended for use in national Cesarean section plans.Trial registration: This study has been registered in Iran Randomized Clinical Trial Center (IRCT20151208025431N7). Registered December 07, 2018.

Parental career-specific behaviours and adolescent career adaptability

Parents are a major influence on adolescents' career development. However, past studies have mostly explored general rather than career-specific parenting aspects. According to Dietrich and Kracke (2009) parental support, parental interference, and lack of parental career engagement are basic dimensions of career-specific parental behaviours. This study examined the relationship between these parental behaviours and career adaptability in a sample of high school students (N = 197; Mage = 16.79). The data were collected in a group online testing. Student career adaptability was measured with the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012) and parental career-specific behaviours were measured by the scale developed by Dietrich and Kracke (2009). Parental support emerged as the most important positive predictor of career adaptability since it predicted both global career adaptability and separate dimensions. Parental interference negatively predicted career control, career confidence, and overall career adaptability but only when parents' career engagement was higher. The results point out that in understanding parental influences in students' career development it is important to consider different parenting practices and also examine separate students' career adaptability resources. Parents should be helped to recognise their career-related parenting practices and to understand the potential of these behaviours in facilitating their children's career adaptability. Special counselling interventions should be provided for students who perceive that their parents are not providing enough career-related support.

Behavioral Consequences of Alcohol Use Among Students of Isabela State University – Main Campus

The study was focused on the behavioural consequences state of alcohol use among the students. The respondents were all levels of students of Isabela State University-Main Campus. The researcher used survey questionnaire and interview to gather data. The study found out that the majority of the respondents were under 19-20 years old, male, junior with allowance of 100-200 pesos per day. The Behavioral Consequences on Alcohol Use Among Students of Isabela State University-Main Campus were the following: First was the Profile of the Respondents, followed by the Awareness of the Respondents on Alcohol, Behavioral Consequences of Alcohol and lastly the Leading Factors on Using Alcohol. Based on the above conclusions, the following recommendations were: Clinicians are important to screen students of Isabela State University-Main Campus for alcohol misuse and provide persons engaged in risky or hazardous drinking with behavioral counselling interventions to reduce alcohol misuse. That those who do not consume alcoholic beverages should not start doing so because of the negative impact. Provide Educational Programs among Isabela State University-Main Campus students to enhance their knowledge about alcohol consumption. Since the majority of respondent were 19-20 years old, a similar study should be conducted regarding other possible behavioral consequences, awareness and factors on alcohol and should also be conducted with larger number of respondents. Keywords: behavioral consequences; alcohol use; students

Formal and Informal Use of TA Counselling in Education

We thank the previous publishers for permission to re-publish this article, which previously appeared as Jusik, P. (2017) Formal and Informal Use of TA Counselling in Education. Edukacyjna Analiza Transakcyjna, 6, 67-85. We have retained the structure and referencing of that article. This article applies role theory and thus clarifies the differences between educators and counsellors who use transactional analysis as a method of conceptualising their work to support growth and development of learners. Educators are seen as facilitators of growth that results from acquiring knowledge, skills and understanding, whereas counsellors emphasise growth resulting from introspection based on relational experiences with the practitioner. Furthermore, counselling interventions can be differentiated into formal and informal work that show considerable differences in terms of contract, roles, levels of containment and confidentiality. Several transactional analysis models have been described in the context of formal and informal interventions. Relevant case studies have been presented to show how the concepts are applied in an educational environment. The author suggests that transactional analysis counsellors need to bring awareness into the roles that they hold and their ability to account for role differences will make their interventions more robust.