Date of Award

1995

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Art

First Advisor

Marilyn Patterson

Second Advisor

Pamela Nickels

Third Advisor

Betty Lemasters

Abstract

For much of its hi story career counseling has focused on the career needs of the unemployed (Herr, 1989). Career concerns were more oriented to economic health, to change of an occupation, to the development of pre-vocational ski I ls and the preparation for work. Over the years an ever increasing amount of research has indicated the unemployed suffer many personal needs as a consequence of unemployment (Borgen & Amundsen, 1984; Kasi, Gore, & Cobb, 1975) in addition to career needs. These personal needs are both physical and mental (Banks & Jackson, 1982; O'Brien & Kabanoff, 1979).

In recent years a trend has been developing in professional counseling recognizing the relationship between career patterns and mental health (Crites, 1981). In the past decade a growing literature in economics, industrial psychology, organizational theory, and psychiatry demonstrates the relationship between unemployment and personal needs, both physical and mental (Herr, 1989).

The purpose of this study was to identify career needs as well as personal needs among a group of unemployed persons at an Employment Assessment Prog ram. A twelve statement survey was used in questioning the sample group of 38 unemployed persons. The survey results indicated a combination of needs among 63 percent of the sample group. The 63 percent or 24 people had at least one personal need in addition to their career needs. Thirty-seven percent or 14 members of the sample group indicated they had no personal counseling needs. One participant had neither career or personal counseling needs.

The results of the survey suggests the data concerning the personal counseling needs of the unemployed is in agreement with the findings of the current literature. Unemployed persons who come to career counseling may have personal counseling needs in addition to career needs. II

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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