Case Study Analysis

In this case study scenario our subject Katya is a freshman in college with a 3.0 GPA;
she commits time to her studying and yet still is affected by severe test anxiety. Katya has
no confidence that her hard work and preparation will benefit her testing results; she is
suffering from low self-efficacy. Developing self efficacy is vital for coping with and
overcoming academic pressures (R. Donatelle). Currently Katya has reached the end of her
semester but must do well on her Chemistry final or lose her scholarship; this high pressure
scenario has resulted in an increase of stress and test anxiety, causing a panic attack during
one of her study sessions. She must resolve her test anxiety and increase her self-efficacy
before her test, in 2 weeks.
I am very familiar with anxiety and panic attacks. In the past I utilized medications to
ease my anxiety, but found that though sometimes helpful they seemed to create more of a
crutch for me. I sought professional help to wean myself off of all medications and learn
techniques to relieve my stress and anxiety both in the long and short term. I found
tremendous benefits from meditation, progressive muscle relaxation via guided imagery,
and changing my self-dialogue; all skills I learned within the CHAANGE program (Change for
Help for Anxiety/Agoraphobia through New Growth Experience).

I would recommend that Katya work on increasing her self-efficacy by changing her
self-talk immediately. I believe that it is underestimated how much your attitude and selftalk can affect your environment and experiences. Katyas lack of confidence in her studies
positively affecting her testing creates only non-productive and fear-enhancing feelings. To
begin changing your inner dialogue you can:

Stop Criticism & Praise yourself - Criticism doesnt change anything. Criticism breaks
down your inner spirit; praise builds it up.

Do Not Scare Yourself Fear of upcoming events or possible outcomes is not productive.
If you find yourself going to a fearful or negative place, find a pleasurable image or thought
and switch your scary thought to your pleasure thought.
Support yourself Reach out to family & friends and allow them to help you. It is strong
to ask for help when you need it.

Be Kind and Gentle to yourself Be patient as you learn new ways of thinking. Release
your negative patterns of thought.

Katya must become aware of how her low self-efficacy is actually adding to her feelings of
fear and stress, so she can begin to change these thought patterns. Being more supportive
and kind to herself will be a tremendous first step in reducing her risk of future panic
attacks.

For Katya to further work on reducing her stress and anxiety she must, learn to relax.
There are many different relaxation techniques available: meditation, yoga, progressive
muscle relaxation, visualization, and many more that Katya could choose to practice.
Meditation is one of the easier relaxation techniques to begin and you will improve your
quality and depth of meditation the more you are able to practice. I personally enjoy the
apps offered by www.meditationoasis.com they offer varied meditations as well as a
program, At Ease Anxiety & Worry Relief. I found meditation, especially when practiced
often can really assist in anxiety reduction by reducing resistance to the way events are
unfolding in our life. Trying to control our life and specific situations within it creates stress
and suffering; instead encourage trust of yourself and your abilities to create a calmness
and confidence in your natural intelligence.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation was another technique I personally found helpful and
think that Katya would benefit from especially during periods of acute stress like she is
currently experiencing.

According to UC Irvine; with Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR),

you focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group. This helps you focus on
the difference between muscle tension and relaxation, and you become more aware of your

physical sensations caused by stress vs. relaxation. Personally this form of relaxation was
not only effective in times of stress it also gave me the physical awareness to begin to feel
the onset of a panic attack and address the stressor prior to actually experiencing an attack.
In addition to suggesting techniques for increasing self-efficacy and learning how to
relax, I also would like to assist Katya going forward in her college career, by recommending
some steps for developing good realistic expectations. These steps would be ideal for her
to utilize at the beginning of each semester.
Develop a list of non-negotiable. Create a list of things that you will not do, under any
circumstances. This list will help you as you make decisions and try to stay true to who you
are. Create a list that includes your social: parties, dating; academics: grades, class
attendance; organizations: Greek, extracurricular clubs; behaviors: drinking, church, etc.
How will you be involved in college without compromising who you are?
Think realistically about your time and involvement. Often when you are excited
about a new stage of life, you jump into it without thinking clearing and can quickly end up
over your head before they really get started. For example, it is not a good idea to join a
Greek organization, 2 sports teams, Chess Club, Pep Squad, and volunteer at the local
humane society, all in the first week. The more intentional you are about what you do, the
more impact you can make in your involvements.
Write out a few statements for how you would like to end your semester. For
example, you might say: When I finish this semester in college, I hope I can have a GPA of
___. By the end of this first semester, I hope that I have a few friends that...
By setting realistic goals and expectations Katya can strengthen her self-efficacy and stay
focused on the future she wants.
I have recommended several techniques for Katyas to use to resolve her anxiety and
panic attacks both now and in the future. I think Katya as well as others affected by anxiety
and panic attacks could benefit greatly from the tools I have suggested. If these tools are
not reducing anxiety during study sessions within about 3- 4 days it would be advisable for
Katya to seek professional help. I believe that professional help is not always required but
considering the importance of this specific test on her scholarship status and the short time
frame she has to achieve results; a professional may provide a keener perspective on how to

get Katya through this rough patch and advise her how to maintain a new perspective and
pathway throughout her college career and future life path.

Resources
Donatelle, Rebecca. Health: The Basics. San Francisco: Benjamin Cummins.
2013 Pearson Education, Inc. Print.

McGregor, Tommy. Developing Realistic Expectations for Your College

Experience. TheTransMission [blog]. 2012-2014 TheTransMission All Rights
Reserved. Web. Accessed December 2, 2014.

Wierzbicki, Paul. Learned Optimism: The Cup Half Full. Positive Psychology
Program [serial online]. Oct 22, 2014. 2014 Positive Psychology Program.
Web. Accessed December 2, 2014.

Mayo Clinic Staff. Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress.
Healthy Lifestyle, Stress management [serial online]. 1998-2014 Mayo
Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Web.

Muscle Relaxation Health Education Center, University of California

Irvine. Web. Accessed December 4, 2014.