Environmental Stressors

“If environmental stressors are the key issue of distress (rather than within the individual), a social worker’s role is to assist in bringing change in those external factors that have a negative impact on the individual (Casella, n.d).” When I read the above statement, I immediately think of people in distress, but society blames them for not working hard or being smart. Sometimes, a person can be stressed, but the distress is not within the individual. The reason for stress or distress can be environmental. Environmental stressors include crowding, air quality, war, light, noise, insects, and natural or man-made disasters.  My heart goes out to the stressed people, especially those who do not know their stressors. They live condemning themselves or working towards recovery, but it is hard to recover when the stressor is still around them.

A social worker has a responsibility to the people in society. They should help distressed people realize their stressors. I know there are many ways that a social worker can help someone in distress. For a person whose stressor is in the environment, the social worker should work with them to remove it to recover and have smooth healing. I’m thinking of the stressors that cannot be removed that need to be changed (Brayne et al.,2015). The social worker assists the client or patient in changing the things that are causing them stress. That means the main work of changing the environment lies with the client after they know their stressors. They must develop coping skills if the stressor cannot be removed or altered (Van der Kolk et al., 2012). For example, losing a loved one cannot be changed, so as the social worker assists the client, they have a part to play to cope and heal. Some coping mechanisms include; getting massages, exercising, and listening to music-anything to put a smile on their faces.

References

Brayne, H., Carr, H., & Goosey, D. (2015). Law for social workers. Oxford University Press, USA.

Casella, K. Social Welfare and Policy ll [Ebook]. Retrieved 8 December 2021

Van der Kolk, B. A., McFarlane, A. C., & Weisaeth, L. (Eds.). (2012). Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on mind, body, and society. Guilford Press.

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Environmental Stressors

Your textbook states, “If environmental stressors are the key issue of distress (rather than within the individual), a social worker’s role is to assist in bringing change in those external factors that have a negative impact on the individual.”

Describe what comes to your mind when you read this quote – how do you interpret it? Are there any specific examples you can provide that support this idea?