Existential Anxiety and Young People
Existential Anxiety and Young People
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Issue Date
2024-11-19
Authors
Hebert, Asher
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Abstract
Existential anxiety (EA) is a non-pathological anxiety which results from the confrontation of one's own mortality and its subsequent experiences of death, isolation, identity, freedom, and meaninglessness (Koole et al., 2006; Reed et al., 2021; van Bruggen et al., 2015). EA is an experience which young people seem to have relatively acutely, which can have negative impacts upon their lives. The question guiding this research project has been "What does the literature currently show about young people experiencing existential anxiety?" A narrative literature review was conducted which synthesized nine themes as findings. Additionally, a methodological critique and discussion of ethics of 10 key studies was conducted. This review used the framework of Existential-Integrative Theory. Young people who are confronted with their mortality seem to experience a general discomfort, fear, and questioning about their lives. EA could cause difficulties for young people in understanding others, to make themselves understood, and could struggle to maintain and develop relationships, potentially causing physical isolation and loneliness. EA may cause challenges with identity, self-esteem, and making choices about their futures and identities. EA may also be a source of exhaustion and mood difficulties. It is recommended that counsellors utilize an Existential-Integrative approach to understanding how young people experience EA. Further research needs to be conducted to better understand how EA affects young people and how best to cope with EA experiences. A number of recommendations are provided for clinical applications and future research.
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Keywords
existential anxiety , young people , youth , existential-integrative theory , literature review
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States , openAccess