2026-05-17T19:05:32Zhttps://keep.lib.asu.edu/oai/request

oai:keep.lib.asu.edu:node-2007162025-05-15T22:33:13Zoai_pmh:alloai_pmh:repo_items

200716 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.200716 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-05 96 pages Walton-Gaines, Malaysia Mitscher, Melissa "Megan" England, Alison Barrett, The Honors College School of Social Work The COVID-19 pandemic was a devastating, time-freezing event that required life adaptation and self-reflection in lives across the world, and in fact, the world is still bouncing back from its detrimental effects today. There is no question that this time period demonstrated unique challenges, especially for high school students, as they struggled with coping with this seemingly bleak time. The sudden shift to remote learning, the social isolation, and the uncertainty surrounding the virus all contributed to heightened levels of stress and anxiety among students. As a result, students had to develop new coping mechanisms and self-care strategies to manage their well-being in this unprecedented situation. High school students aspiring to pursue careers in helping professions faced the challenge of balancing their desire to support others with the need to discover themselves and prioritize their own well-being. This project aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 quarantine era on Gen-Z's well-being, specifically gaining perspective from students majoring in social work or related helping professions. The episodes comprehensively explore the complexities of the pandemic’s impact on well-being and how this translated into the need for self-care, finding resilience, and rediscovering what it means to be a student desiring to help others. By focusing on students majoring in social work or related fields, the project provides insight from students who experienced the effects of the pandemic firsthand during a significant life transition and also have an understanding of mental wellness and well-being from a professional and academic standpoint. Through sharing personal narratives, a sense of community and empathy can be created among Gen-Z students in helping professions, and contribute to a greater understanding between individual experiences and social contexts in shaping outcomes during times of crisis, especially relevant to their career choice. COVID COVID-19 Gen-Z Podcast Helping Profession Coping with COVID: Revisiting the COVID Era Through the Lens of Gen Z Students in Helping Professions