Addressing Stress with Social Work Students: A Controlled Evaluation

This study used a classical pretest-posttest control group design to measure changes in participants' responses after a 45-minute seminar provided 48 undergraduate social work students with techniques on how to better handle stressful situations. When compared to the control group, responses from the students who received the seminar showed significant changes, and these students reported levels of stress and apprehension that were significantly lowered. These findings suggest that formal efforts are important for short-term assistance to help students cope with stress encountered during the course of their studies. Recommendations for future research and intervention in this area are made.