Career Thoughts, Indecision, and Depression

College students experience a number of stressors, such as adjustment to a new environment, postgraduation planning, and the balancing of changing roles and responsibilities. These stressors may contribute to increased rates of psychological distress that have implications for their educational and career development. The purpose of this study was to extend understanding of the nature of the relationships among psychological distress, self‐esteem, and career decision self‐efficacy (CDSE) beliefs. Results from 292 undergraduate students demonstrated support for the proposed hypotheses. Psychological distress negatively related to self‐esteem and to CDSE. Self‐esteem was positively related to, yet distinct from, CDSE, and both self‐esteem and psychological distress contributed unique variance to the prediction of CDSE. Results highlight the importance of attending to student psychological distress in the provision of career counseling services. Future research that centralizes mental health is needed to better understand relationships among career development processes over time and within diverse student populations.

Section: Implications For Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Implications For Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

College Student Psychological Distress: Relationship to Self‐Esteem and Career Decision Self‐Efficacy Beliefs

Thompson

Her

Fetter

et al. 2019

“…Previous research has indicated that depression may lead to higher levels of dysfunctional attitudes, negative automatic thoughts, and cognitive distortions such as loneliness, feeling trapped, and hopelessness about the future (Eaves & Rush, 1984;Murgai & Sathyavathi, 1987). Research also indicates a link between depression and the ability to effectively engage in career decision making (Rottinghaus, Jenkins, & Jantzer, 2009;Saunders, Peterson, Sampson, & Reardon, 2000;Walker & Peterson, 2012). Walker and Peterson (2012) suggested that "venturing into the realm of mental health issues has the potential to reveal severe or chronic pathological states or even suicide ideation.…”

Section: Connection Between Career and Mental Health Concernsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relation of Negative Career Thoughts to Depression and Hopelessness

Dieringer¹,

Lenz

Hayden

et al. 2017

Self Cite

Although some research literature focuses on the integration of mental health and career counseling, there has been little that examines both areas in relation to depression and hopelessness. This study investigated the relationship among dysfunctional career thinking, depression, and hopelessness in a sample of 139 undergraduate and graduate students seeking drop‐in or individual career counseling services at a university career center. The authors found that two aspects of dysfunctional career thinking, decision‐making confusion and commitment anxiety, accounted for a significant amount of variance in depression. Decision‐making confusion also accounted for a significant amount of variance in hopelessness. Implications for counseling practice include the need for more careful screening of career clients who present with high levels of anxiety and negative thinking. Future research could involve more diverse client populations, such as unemployed adults, and explore the use of additional screening measures to assess the intersection of career and mental health issues.

“…Two of these factors include (a) the degree of indecision or uncertainty with respect to a career choice and (b) the extent of dissatisfaction with the choice. These factors are collectively referred to as the career decision state (Bullock-Yowell et al, 2011;Walker & Peterson, 2012). Osipow (1999) stated that making a career decision can be one of the more stressful and anxiety-provoking life experiences, which could lead to career decision-making difficulties.…”

Section: Career Decision Statementioning

confidence: 99%

Neuroticism, Negative Thinking, and Coping With Respect to Career Decision State

Bullock-Yowell

Reed

Mohn

et al. 2015

Self Cite

Using structural equation modeling, the present study investigated relationships between neuroticism, coping strategies, and negative career thoughts within the context of attaining a positive career decision state. Results from the initial model, based on a sample of college students (119 women, 113 men; M = 20.3 years) enrolled in a career development course, revealed that coping strategies were not a significant contribution to the model. The final model, without coping strategies, showed that neuroticism had a significant indirect effect on career decision state through negative thinking and that the relationship between neuroticism and career decision state was also significant. Findings also indicate that in the presence of negative career thoughts, neuroticism becomes associated with a more positive career decision state. Practical implications include suggestions that counselors intervene on clients' negative career thoughts to potentially render their neurotic tendencies more productive in reaching a desired career decision state.