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Christina Ly
Professor Silva
Health Education/#2778
2 December 2014
Case Study Analysis
College students are presented with the conflict of their personal and academic life as
soon as they enter college institutions. Their stress and mental health become heavily influenced
by different facets. Katya, as a freshman in college struggling with test anxiety demonstrates the
importance for college students to assess their health and stress. Katya seems to struggle with her
confidence, mainly within her own head. As the semester comes to an end, her stresses seem to
be compiled and wrapped up in her concerns about her final exam. She places more stress on her
final exam since she is considering the final exam as a determinant of her being a scholarship
recipient. With this added pressure, Katya experiences a panic attack and needs extra assistance
with her issue.
As a college student, I can empathize with Katya strongly. I find myself in similar
situations constantly. My studying efforts will be negatively effected simply because I dont
believe that I will absorb the information and perform well on the exam. Reading about the case
study on Katya, it would be easy to just suggest that Katya think more positively and be more
confident. These concepts are difficult to carry out. Personally, when I find myself in similar
situations I will try have a conversation with other individuals to try to receive words of
encouragement. By not voicing my concerns, I find that I feel alone and stagnant in my efforts. I
try to look at the bigger picture and realize that a simple exam is a small aspect in comparison to
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my entire educational career. I take steps to study slightly everyday and avoid procrastinating
which contributes to the stress.
For Katya and college students around the world, steps toward relaxation and efficacy
should be taken. According to an article in the Journal of American College Health, a 6-week
study on college students suggests that methods focusing on relaxation response based
skills(Deckro 283) and cognitive behavioral interventions, produced the most improvement
toward distress, anxiety and perception of stress toward college students. Techniques such as
yoga, breathing, muscle relaxation and mindfulness yielded positive results for students who
were stressed about coursework. Additionally, the cognitive behavioral interventions consisted of
assessing mental process of the self and challenging certain thoughts that are restrictive. It also
consisted of statements of affirmation and setting goals for oneself. When dealing with stress,
improvements in overall physical and mental health should be tended to. Another strategy to be
utilized would be writing down worries before an exam. A study that examined college and high
school students saw that those who quickly wrote down their worries before an exam, scored
higher. This may suggest that self-reflection could greatly benefit efforts and feelings of stress
and anxiety.
In conclusion, stress is a difficult concept to tackle, but to do so, an individual must take
gradual steps in attempting to resolve the issue. There wont be a quick fix to anxiety or stress,
an individual must consistently make efforts to relax, self-reflect and take themselves out of the
situation to see it clearer. Whether its mental or physical, an individuals improvement in their
overall health may positively influence several facets of his or her life, including stress and
anxiety.
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Works Cited
1.
Bernhardsdttir, J., & Vilhjlmsson, R. (2013). Psychological distress among university
female students and their need for mental health services. Journal Of Psychiatric & Mental
Health Nursing, 20(8), 672-678. doi:10.1111/jpm.12002
2. Bower, B. (2011, January 13). The write stuff for test anxiety. Retrieved December 2, 2014,
from [Link]
3. Winterdyk, J., Ray, H., Lafave, L., Flessati, S., Huston, M., Danelesko, E., & Murray, C.
(2008). The Evaluation of Four Mind/Body Intervention Strategies to Reduce Perceived
Stress among College Students. College Quarterly, 11(1), 1-10.
