Mental health articles

depressed and anxious students have social deficits A final area of behavioral diffi culties is social defi cits. Some depressed and anxious students shrink away from taking social risks partly because they know from experience that they’ll strike out. Th ere’s no point urging them to try again until they can improve their prospects. While it’s impossible in short-term (or probably long-term) therapy to fully teach the art of making friends, a small tip or two and some in-session practice can sometimes make a noticeable diff erence. With this thought in mind, one enthusiastic practicum student coached her awkward and painfully shy patient on maintaining eye contact and asking appropriate questions, and then invited in fellow trainees to role-play sample conversations. Her patient made some progress in the sessions and a few gingerly overtures on the outside. Another tack with awkward students is to steer them away from situations where they’re sure to fail toward more welcoming environments, such as church groups, certain campus clubs—and, of course, therapy groups. Th ere’s a lid for every pot, and even the least socially adept students may fi nd acceptance if they know where to look. Th e importance of establishing social connections should never be underestimated. Sometimes the best remedy for a despondent student is simply making one new friend.

Tags: anxious, depress