The Impact of Group Counseling on the Stress of High School Seniors Who Are Uncertain About Their Post Secondary Plan

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of group counseling as an intervention for high school seniors who are experiencing stress related to their post-secondary decisions. Research indicates that students’ final year of high school is especially stressful when uncertainty about post-secondary plans exists. A counseling group was developed to provide support to students with the aforementioned stress and indecision. Four participants took part in a five-week, discussion-based, counseling group. Participants were administered the Perceived Stress Scale at the commencement and culmination of the group. Following the intervention, participants exhibited a 29.49% decrease in perceived stress, although the results were not statistically significant. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.