The impact of students' 'internally' versus 'externally' oriented coping strategies upon anxiety and depression: Implications for counselling processes

Abstract

As a preliminary investigation of the implications for counselling practice of Purpose in Life (PIL), Search for Neotic Goals (SONG) and Conscientiousness (CON) as potential buffers against anxiety and depression among university student clients, 398 students from a university in eastern Australia completed measures of these constructs. Results indicated that, although having a clear PIL and being conscientious were negatively associated with anxiety and depression, SONG was positively linked with those disorders. More importantly for counselling processes, up to 10% of those students whose anxiety and depression would make them most likely to seek counselling showed inverse relationships between PIL, SONG and CON and anxiety and depression. Several strategies are suggested for counsellors who work with university student populations.