Publication Date
Winter 12-11-2024
Item Type
Text
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
According to the United States Census Bureau, Seattle reported the highest amount of people with stress in the United States with 54.5% (reported by adults) saying they felt ‘nervous, anxious or on edge’ for at least several days during the past two weeks” (Swedish, 2024). Many residents in Seattle cope with stress in unhealthy ways. For instance, in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue MSA, 19% of individuals aged 12 or older used illicit drugs, compared to the national rate of 14.7% (SAMHSA, 2012). Additionally, 22.5% of this population engaged in binge alcohol use at least once in the past month (SAMHSA, 2012). Our group’s mission was oriented around addressing stress by using coping techniques, educational sessions and activities.
Background
For the project, we collaborated with an agency that serves as a refuge for individuals facing challenges such as homelessness, addiction, and mental health issues. The agency offers essential services, including meals, coffee, and structured activities, along with multiple staff-led 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings to support recovery from addiction. Our group, consisting of six quarter-five Seattle Pacific nursing students, worked alongside our clinical instructor and an agency representative to develop an educational plan informed by a needs assessment of the community. To help identify the community's needs, we conducted a windshield and comprehensive assessment, observing environmental factors, community dynamics, and stressors such as homelessness and limited access to resources, which informed the development of our educational plan.
The primary concern identified from the agency data we collected was high-stress levels, highlighting a strong need for effective coping strategies. The agency that we visited consisted of members who all have a goal of achieving recovery from addiction. A stress assessment was conducted at the agency to get statistics regarding the different levels of stress that the agency members were experiencing. We provided three candy bowls labeled to represent varying stress levels. Results showed that 18 members (53%) took candy from the bowl that indicated high stress levels, 10 (30%) took from the bowl that represented mild stress levels, and six (17%) took from the bowl that indicated no stress. This assessment confirmed our diagnosis and established the necessity of stress management education. Building on these findings, we conducted additional assessments to gather more information to further inform our intervention.
Activities with rationale
After analyzing stress levels among the agency’s members, we began to develop stress management activities, with coping cards being the main intervention. Our objective was to tie in education regarding stress management with an activity that the members could easily participate in. Our coping cards incorporated evidence-based practices from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to provide effective stress management strategies. The cards featured three techniques: deep breathing exercises, positive affirmations, and a drawing square for participants to express joy through art. Box breathing, a relaxation technique, helps people process difficult emotions and lowers stress (Baylor College of Medicine, n.d.). These methods promote relaxation, emotional regulation, cognitive reframing, and anxiety reduction.
CBT and DBT, evidence-based practices (EBPs), are widely recognized for their effectiveness in stress management, cognitive reframing, and emotional regulation. Extensive research supports their reliability and adaptability to various individual needs (Gill & Linehan, 2014). Additionally, the drawing square technique provides a creative outlet for processing emotions, reducing anxiety, and shifting focus to positive experiences (Baylor College of Medicine, n.d.). An educational pamphlet was also developed highlighting common stress risks, signs and symptoms of stress, and healthy stress management techniques. This emphasizes the benefits of these approaches in improving mental health and resilience.
Outcomes
The educational sessions and interventions demonstrated positive engagement and effectiveness in helping members identify common stress risks, recognize signs and symptoms of stress, and implement stress management techniques. Our goals for this intervention were to have at least 15 people accept the education and have at least 10 of those people take a pamphlet or coping card. The specific outcomes of the interventions included all 20 participating members demonstrating an understanding of stress indicators and management techniques through the teach-back method, where they explained coping strategies in their own words and provided feedback on their effectiveness. Members also actively engaged in the session by completing interactive activities, such as coloring and filling out coping cards, and practicing box breathing exercises. A total of 16 educational pamphlets and 18 coping cards were distributed during the session. Five individuals declined participation, which was documented but did not detract from the overall engagement and success of the session. Following the intervention, members reported feeling more equipped to recognize and manage their stress. As a result, the educational pamphlet created for this initiative was shared with the founding director of the agency and subsequently distributed on a national scale to promote further outreach and education.
Conclusion
Through collaboration with the agency, the project achieved its objective of supporting the community by offering multiple EBP resources and activities aimed at alleviating stress. The weekly participation of 20 individuals highlights the project’s measurable impact in fostering a supportive environment conducive to mental health improvement. We also achieved a nationwide impact through the national distribution of the flyer via the agency’s network. Through the educational pamphlets, we aim to provide continued equitable access to resources and encourage community involvement. The project aims to expand accessibility by offering multilingual educational materials for non-English speakers. Lastly, additional funding is a priority to sustain and enhance supporting resource development and outreach expansion.
References
Baylor College of Medicine. (n.d.). Coping skills cards. https://www.bcm.edu/research/faculty-labs/luna-learning-to-understand-and-navigate-anxiety/teen-modules/module-3-coping-with-anxiety/coping-skills-cards
Gill, R. & Marsha Linehan. (2014). Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training - Interpersonal Effectiveness, pp. 1–5. https://www.wichita.edu/academics/fairmount_las/psychology/Clinic/DEAR.MAN.GIVE.FAST.Worksheet.pdf
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2012). The NSDUH report metro brief: Substance use and mental disorders in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan statistical area. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. Retrieved from http://www.samhsa.gov/data
Swedish. (2024). Anxious in Seattle? Report shows Seattle is most stressed major city in the U.S. Swedish Blog. https://blog.swedish.org/swedish-blog/anxious-in-seattle-report-shows-seattle-is-most-stressed-major-city-in-the-u-s
Recommended Citation
Nikitchuk, Margaret; Politeo, Maddy; Hall, Sarah; Pham, Ben; Kumar, David; and George, Kiana, "Stress Management Through Educational Coping Techniques" (2024). Nursing Leadership in Community Engagement Projects. 52.
https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/shs_nlce/52
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