Running Head: CASE STUDY OVERVIEW 1

Isaac Leveron
Prof. Apiafi
Health Ed 44
04/01/2019
Case Study Overview

Katya is a hard-working student who has a 3.0 grade point average. She studies plenty for

her tests, but she suffers from severe anxiety that prevents her from doing well in her tests.

Katya’s situation increases her anxiety as she’s in jeopardy of losing her scholarship if she

doesn’t do well in her exam. As the day of the exam gets closer, she has a panic attack while

attempting to study. She needs assistance to overcome her anxiety and the exam is only two days

away.

I can’t say my anxiety rises when I have a test coming up. I usually don’t feel pressured

like in Katya’s case. But, whenever I’m studying for a difficult test I try to study in a way that I

don’t stress myself out. I make sure I study for an appropriate amount of time while it helps me

avoid overwhelming myself with the material. However, one thing that does raise my anxiety is

attending a new class. This past fall semester, before attending my psychology class, I start

overthinking of the many possibilities of how I can humiliate myself and present a bad first

impression. This was during the last months of summer, so the weather was still a little hot. As I

made my way towards my class, I went over the details of the class and read that there were over

40 students. For some reason that made me nervous and I started perspiring heavily and filled my

shirt with sweat. I made a stop to the restroom and attempted to cool myself off. I saw my

reflection in the mirror and discovered it was a bad day to wear gray because all my sweat was

visible. I had to wait for my shirt to dry before heading out onto campus. It took nearly over an

hour and had to skip my class to go home and freshen myself up. I always get nervous in public
Running Head: CASE STUDY OVERVIEW 2

places like classrooms, church halls, and sometimes restaurants. But either listening to music or

being with a group of friends helps me distract myself.

If I found myself in Katya’s situation, I would seek professional help. The reason being is

because I don’t have control over my anxiety. Anxiety takes over my emotions which result in

panic attacks. Therefore, needing the assistance of a professional to teach me methods to regulate

my anxiety. For example, prescribe medication for anxiety or finding ways to reduce it. Some

actions I would take to decrease my anxiety is to first admit to myself that I am being anxious.

Realizing the fact that I am being anxious can help me cope with my anxiety. It will help me

comprehend the reason behind overthinking about situations and stressing myself out when in

reality, I’m making it seem bigger in my head than it really is. I shall question my thoughts. Such

as if my worries are being realistic, what should I do to handle this appropriately, or how must I

prepare myself for the results. I would also work on my self-efficacy. In this case, I would have

weak self-efficacy. Therefore, I shall start looking for tasks that challenge my abilities, yet tasks

that aren’t too difficult for me that I fail instantly. Cherry (2019) states, “Our belief in our own

ability to succeed plays a role in how we think, how we act, and how we feel about our place in

the world.” Thus, if I was in Katya’s case I would have a weak sense of self-efficacy. I’d avoid

difficult assignments and quickly lose confidence when I face failure. Therefore, by challenging

myself in difficult situations but not completely beyond my capability, would be a step to

building a stronger self-efficacy.

Before beginning a semester, I ought to know what to expect of each class. The

responsibilities and the work load I will face in each class. Understanding that the work would

create stress and I must be prepared to handle the situation. In addition, I will face challenges

such as learning how to use new platforms and perhaps not meeting professors’ expectations for
Running Head: CASE STUDY OVERVIEW 3

assignments. According to Daniel Zaharia, Dana Corina Deselnicu, and Gheorghe Militaru

(2016), “Psychologists argue that stress occurs due to a state of self-inefficiency perceived by the

subject. Therefore, psychological stress is characterized as a sort of relationship between the

individual and the environment and is evaluated as a consequence of a depletion or excessive use

of the own resources that is threatening the well-being and the comfort of the individual.”

Forming expectations in the beginning of each semester and preparing how to deal with them can

reduce stress and avoids anxiety. In Katya’s case this is vital because if she were to be prepared

for this challenge, she would have realized that scholarships can be lost and keep herself calm

and focused when she received the notice. Keeping her calm enough to avoid her panic attack

and take on the test.

In conclusion, we have all faced similar challenges like Katya. While some cannot handle

the pressure, it is best to find professional help to discover medical or some easier ways to deal

with anxiety. Some may feel embarrassed or their pride gets in their way of seeking help. But we

have to come to understand that anxiety is a disorder that interferes with people from living their

lives. Feeling anxious can lead to depression and if there are signs of severe anxiety it is best to

plan a course of action.

Running Head: CASE STUDY OVERVIEW 4

Works Cited Page

Cherry, K. (2019). Self Efficacy: Why Believing in Yourself Matters. Retrieved March 27, 2019,

from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-efficacy-2795954

Zaharia, I. D., Deselnicu, D. C., & Militaru, G. (2016). Stress and students' performance. FAIMA

Business & Management Journal, 4(3), 74-84. Retrieved from

https://login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.ezp.pasadena.edu/docview/1878044406?accountid=28371