Job-Seeking Anxiety Resilience and Family Influence on Career Decision-Making among Senior Undergraduate Students in Southern Thailand during the COVID -19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective: A study of job-seeking anxiety, resilience quotient and family influence on career decision-making is apparently lacking; especially in regards to the impact of the financial crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic, and other factors, such as the political climate currently in Thailand. This study aimed to determine job-seeking anxiety, resilience quotient and family influence on career decision-making and related factors among senior, undergraduate university students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in a university in Southern Thailand; from May to October, 2020. Two hundred and seventy-one participants completed questionnaires regarding personal and parental demographic characteristics, resilience, family influence scale, job-seeking self-perception and job-seeking anxiety. Results: The prevalence of job-seeking anxiety among participants was low (40%), moderate (50%) and high (10%). In univariate analysis, factors significantly associated with job-seeking anxiety were: female gender (p=0.03), effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, economics and the current, political situation Thailand (p=0.03), resilience quotient (p<0.001) and job-seeking self-perception (p<0.001). The predictors of job-seeking anxiety, from multivariate analysis, were: resilience quotient (β = -1.169, P<0.001) and job-seeking self-perception (β = 2.232, P<0.001). Conclusion: Our study provided evidences that a significant proportion of senior, undergraduate students had experienced job-seeking anxiety, with the protective factor of job-seeking anxiety being individual resilience quotient. This information could be used as an effective management strategy for providing mental health promotion, and prevention for senior, undergraduate university students.