Open AccessStudents’ proposed self-management strategies in response to written cases depicting situations of adversity
Author(s) -
Jared Davidson,
C. Simmonds,
Karen Whitfield,
Kyle John Wilby
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
pharmacy education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.198
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 1477-2701
pISSN - 1560-2214
DOI - 10.46542/pe.2021.211.810816
Subject(s) - psychology , construct (python library) , thematic analysis , harassment , emotional exhaustion , burnout , psychological resilience , social psychology , applied psychology , qualitative research , clinical psychology , social science , sociology , computer science , programming language
Pharmacy students are facing academic and non-academic pressures that require emotional regulation. This study explored students’ possible self-management strategies when encountering situations known to deplete resilience. Methods: This was a qualitative think-aloud study designed to elicit final year pharmacy students’ reactions to situations known to deplete resilience and evoke emotional responses (racism, lack of trust, negative feedback, burnout, personal stress, sexual harassment). Thematic analysis was used to capture the strategies students used to self-manage their emotions. Results: Students made use of three types of processes to self-manage their emotions, which were used to construct three overarching strategies: the internalizer (avoidance, self-reflection), the seeker (asking for help or corroboration), and the confronter (approaching the situation and persons involved ‘head on’). Conclusion: Findings support the notion that students’ self-management is not a ‘one size fits all’ construct, and any approach to emotional skill development needs to recognize individualization within student responses.