In the society today people are more dependant on their skills to earn a living that sustains and supports their daily activities. As such jobs are highly valued as they not only support a person but define the person to others. Job loss often results in depression and increased levels of stress because it creates a certain level of uncertainty that continually affects a person’s outlook on life, how he relates with others and how he perceives his value in the society. In this case study, three members of a family had the unfortunate occurrence of losing their jobs. Joe who is 60 years old and has a case of depression when he was 42 but managed to overcome it, Angela who is 40 and Peter, Joe’s grandson who is 20 all lost their jobs. This thus renders the whole family jobless and in such a case there is no source of income that may be used to facilitate their daily expenditures which only makes the situation more tragic. When looking at this case of job loss and its effects on three subjects it is important to look at the effects in relation to their age, future plans and whether they have been in a similar situation in the past. Job loss can be incredibly hard on people’s physical and emotional state, it is, therefore, important to avoid looking for short-term solutions to help cope with the emotional toil but focus on a long-term strategy to help maintain physical and mental stability.
In Joe’s case losing the job at his age of 60yrs might be something he had pictured at some point in his life. Therefore, this is a scenario he might have planned for. Nonetheless, it is not easy losing one’s source of income in the blink of an eye. Having experienced this type of stress before, Joe is at a great advantage of being able to address his case, but what may hinder his emotional and mental stability is the fact that both Angela and Peter will be jobless too. This is where his worries will most likely reside. In that, he will not be as much worried about his situation but about Angela’s and Peter’s case. According to Chapter 13: Job Loss and Transition, “speculation suggests that individuals who will prosper are those who are intelligent enough to learn new skills and, most important, those who are willing to experience new and different work situations.” Unlike Joe, Angela and Peter who are much younger can be able to pick up new skills and thus more probable to search for a new job. But since the job loss phenomenon cut across the board, Angela is likely to be more worried about Joe who had fallen into depression earlier and this will hinder her from progressing and instead force her to concentrate on Joe’s wellbeing. This may, in turn, affect her physical and emotional state that in turn may lead to depression or increased stress levels. Peter who is the youngest is the individual who is most likely to achieve a positive outlook since he still has a long way to go and this might just be one of the many stumbling blocks he will face. But the need to achieve more to support not just himself but two more people may, in turn, affect his abilities and either shape or break him.
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The family or social support structure is an important aspect that helps conflicted people maintain stability in life. In such a case, family roles will be reversed. Joe, for instance, being 60 years old, would not likely start looking for another job but focus on his retirement. On the other hand, Angela will be forced to look out for Joe and her Son Peter. Therefore, she will be the emotional pillar of the family. Financially, Peter being the youngest will be greatly burdened to achieve more for both Angela and Joe. Angela may also start to look for another job but most of her attention will not be in finding work but rather looking out for Joe to prevent a recurrence of the depression. According to Chapter 14, “the importance of skill development and continuous learning appears to be a reliable predictor of career success for many who are employed and unemployed”. This thus implies that Angela being the most preoccupied and the anchor of the family will not get a chance to advance her individual skills. Partly due to her age and shift in family roles. Joe too will not be able solely because of his old age. Peter, on the other hand, is in a position to advance his skill since he is the youngest. This might help in transitioning.
As a counselor, I would strongly advise against short-term answers/ habits to help cope with the increased stress. I would discourage drinking alcohol as a solution or smoking or betting. On the other hand, I would recommend sporting activities done as a family, recreational sports to be conducted and physical exercises to help take the mind of. Similarly, adopting a hobby would be a nice fit to address the problem. For Peter and Angela, being fairly young comes in as an advantage. This thus implies that they have a chance to learn more and better the individual abilities that may earn them more certification for an advanced position in the future.
For assessment, I would administer the Self-directed Search to help Peter successfully transition from this role to another. The personalized report will help in career planning as he is still young. Furthermore, it will help him discover more about his abilities this will assist him in learning about the various areas he can gain from. The assessment will provide more comprehensive fields that Peter can further apply from what he has gained so far from his previous employer. For Angela the most suitable assessment would be the Career Thoughts Inventory this will enable her to prioritize her interest and thus align them to a real career. It essentially brings both the external and internal factors that shape someone with the main goal of thriving while at the same time attending to Joe. For Joe, I would recommend The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) to prevent the recurrence of depression to prevent further resource waste in taking care of Joe at Angela and Joe’s expense. I would also administer to each of them the Value Scale assessment to help them identify their value despite the demoralizing effects of the job loss.
References
Lecture Chapter 13
Lecture Chapter 14
