Student Counseling Services Research Articles

Moral Decadence as a Potential Predictor of Students Academic Performance in Some Selected Senior High Schools in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

The main objective of the study was to examine the moral decadence as a potential predictor of students’ academic performance in some selected senior high schools in the Kumasi Metropolis. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. A multistage sampling procedures namely purposive sampling, proportional sampling and simple random sampling procedures were used in the selection of the sample. A total of 338 respondents were drawn from three senior high schools in the Kumasi Metropolis. Exploratory factor analysis was done to validate the instrument as well as simple linear regression was used to test the hypothesis. Through principal component analysis (PCA), the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin yielded a value of .636, exceeding the recommended value of .6 and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity reached statistical significance χ2(78) =360.171, p = .000), supporting the factorability of the correlation matrix. The pattern structure and the commonalities results were both inspected. Items that had loadings below 0.30 on the pattern matrix as well as the unrotated loadings of the items were deleted. The outcome of the analysis showed that two items had factor loadings below 0.30. Therefore, those items were discarded. The remaining eleven items were retained because they were all above 0.30. The results again, revealed that moral decadence was not a potential predictor of student academic performance in the Kumasi Metropolis, B = -.395, SE = .299, t = -1.322, BootCI (-.984, .193) (see Table 5). This outcome suggests that students who do not exhibit moral decadence in their schools would have higher chances of experiencing higher academic performance. The study recommends that educational directorates and head teachers need to strengthen counseling services for students in senior high schools. This may go a long way to prevent a situation whereby the country could lose most of its manpower in the near future, as moral decadence could compel some of the students to become dropouts and drug addicts.

Australia needs to implement a national health strategy for doctors.

Australia needs to implement a national health strategy for doctors.

The Role of Personality Traits and Demographic Characteristics in Psychological and Sociocultural Adjustment: Evidence from International Pakistani Scholars

Studying away from home is a divergent experience; exciting and stressful for students studying abroad. The present study examined the role of demographic variables and personality, in sociocultural adjustment, and acculturative stress in Pakistani Muslim International students. Two hundred and seventy Pakistani students participated in this study. Data were collected using a consent form, demographic form, Acculturative Stress Scale for Pakistani Muslim International Students, Sociocultural Adjustment Scale-Revised (SCAS-R), and the Big Five Inventory-The BFI (John & Srivastava, 1999). According to the results, demographic variables predicted acculturative stress while personality contributed to predicting sociocultural adjustment. It was also observed that no demographic variables played a significant role in sociocultural adjustment. Extraversion and neuroticism were positive predictors of acculturative stress. Other results, such as six subscales of acculturative strings, five subscales of sociocultural adjustment, and interaction of demographic variables with other variables were further examined in the context of Pakistani culture. The results of the present study also highlighted the factors that affected acculturative stress, personality traits that promoted sociocultural adjustment, and demographic variables that contributed to the adjustment of Pakistani international students. The current study provided important information that suggested the importance of perseverance traits in the selection of students for studying abroad for the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and the factors contributing to acculturative stress. Implications regarding the need to initiate counseling services for vulnerable students, and implementation of policies at institutional and government levels to assist students in facilitating their adjustment while their stay abroad, is discussed.

The World Mental Health International College Student Survey in Canada: Protocol for a Mental Health and Substance Use Trend Study.

BackgroundThe World Health Organization World Mental Health International College Student (WMH-ICS) initiative aims to screen for mental health and substance use problems among postsecondary students on a global scale as well as to develop and evaluate evidence-based preventive and ameliorative interventions for this population. This protocol paper presents the Canadian version of the WMH-ICS survey, detailing the adapted survey instrument, the unique weekly cross-sectional administration, the multitiered recruitment strategy, and the associated risk mitigation protocols.ObjectiveThis paper aims to provide a methodological resource for researchers conducting cross-national comparisons of WMH-ICS data, as well as to serve as a useful guide for those interested in replicating the outlined cross-sectional methodology to better understand how mental health and substance use vary over time among university students.MethodsThe online survey is based on the WMH-ICS survey instrument, modified to the Canadian context by the addition of questions pertaining to Canadian-based guidelines and the translation of the survey to Canadian French. The survey is administered through the Qualtrics survey platform and is sent to an independent stratified random sample of 350 students per site weekly, followed by two reminder emails. Upon survey closure every week, a random subsample of 70 nonresponders are followed up with via phone or through a personal email in an effort to decrease nonresponder bias. The survey is accompanied by an extensive risk mitigation protocol that stratifies respondents by the level of need and provides tailored service recommendations, including a facilitated expedited appointment to student counseling services for those at increased risk of suicide. The anticipated sample size is approximately 5500 students per site per year.ResultsIn February 2020, the Canadian survey was deployed at the University of British Columbia. This was followed by deployment at Simon Fraser University (November 2020), McMaster University (January 2021), and the University of Toronto (January 2022). Data collection at all 4 sites is ongoing. As of May 6, 2022, 29,503 responses have been collected.ConclusionsBased on international collaboration, the Canadian version of the WMH-ICS survey incorporates a novel methodological approach centered on the weekly administration of a comprehensive cross-sectional survey to independent stratified random samples of university students. After 27 months of consecutive survey administration, we have developed and refined a survey protocol that has proven effective in engaging students at four Canadian institutions, allowing us to track how mental health and substance use vary over time using an internationally developed university student survey based on the criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition).International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR1-10.2196/35168

Analysis of the Importance of Guidance and Counseling Services for Students

This study aims to describe the importance of guidance and counseling services for students, subjects in this study were students of mathematics education who are taking courses in guidance and counseling, This research method using a questionnaire in the form of a question and students respond via email, the results are analyzed, then tabulated in the frequency table of respondents, which is then presented with the number of perceptions. The results of this study found that the development of the era, family factors, IT development, excellent Guidance and Counseling services, individual development, individual experience, future and potential development are important guidance and counseling services for students to be well organized at every level of education. The conclusion from the results of this study is that guidance and counseling services must be carried out optimally at all levels of education, guidance and counseling services are important for students to be able to prepare and anticipate life and life, both for today and in the future, and guidance and counseling services. Counseling should be a place for students to consult various problems, not the other way around being a place that is feared by students.

Impact of covid-19 on education, psychological wellness and life style of dental students in Saudi Arabia.

The COVID-19 epidemic has had a significant impact on dental education, psychological health, and students' way of life worldwide. The new methods of teaching and learning had to be adapted by dental educational institutions. Due to lifestyle changes, COVID-19 had a major negative influence on students' mental health. Therefore, it is of interest to assess depression; anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21) levels experienced by dental students and compare them with gender and course of students. A cross-sectional survey based descriptive study was conducted among 356 undergraduate dental students, aged between 18-31 years, at Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh, kingdom of Saudi Arabia from January - March, 2022. A self-administered structured questionnaire written in English and Arabic language was given to all the willing participants. Four components of the questionnaire covered demographic information, the effect of COVID-19 on dental education, psychological health, and student lifestyle. In order to establish statistically significant variations across genders and student course levels regarding the effect of COVID-19 on dentistry education, the Chi-square test was used. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare depression, anxiety, stress scales (DASS- 21) with variables such as gender and course level of students. Statistical significance was set at p-value <0.05.A total of 356 dental students were involved in this study with the total response rate of 92.2%.Majority of the respondents were males (56.2%) than females 156 (43.8), aged between 18-22 years (53.4%). Overall, moderate levels of the depression, anxiety and stress scores (DASS-21) were seen among 46.9%, 30.3% and 35.6% of the dental students, respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on dentistry students' education, mental health, and way of life. More women and dentistry students on the clinical level felt the effects on their education. In order to implement psychological empowerment initiatives integrating institutional counseling services for students, the right steps should be done.

Pelayanan Bimbingan dan Konseling Guru Kelas Terhadap Siswa di Sekolah Dasar Islam Terpadu

Recently, the guidance and counseling program has become increasingly important to all educational institutions, particularly primary schools, to help students cope with daily challenges which have had disastrous consequences for their personal lives, school structures, and society. This study aims to determine how classroom teachers implemented guidance and one of counseling services for students at Cahaya Hati Integrated Islamic Elementary School, Bukittinggi. To accomplish this goal, the author distributed questionnaires to twelve class teachers and conducted interviews with two class teachers and one counseling guidance teachers at the Cahaya Hati Integrated Islamic School, Bukittinggi. This study focused on the implementation of guidance and counseling services, as well as supporting activities carried out by classroom teachers. According to the study’s findings, classroom teachers provided counseling services to students such as orientation services, information services, placement services, learning service, consulting services, and mediation services. This is demonstrated by the percentage of questionnaire responses indicating that there are no teachers who have never performed this service. Furthermore, based on results, it was discovered that several classroom teachers had never carried out supporting activities such as home visits and meeting with authorities in dealing with serious problems. The study’s findings also show that there is good cooperation among school personnel in dealing with student problems and needs.

Student Counseling Centers in Europe: A Retrospective Analysis.

ObjectiveTertiary education can be stressful for many young people, who consistently report high levels of distress. The issue has major implications for campus health services and mental health policymaking more widely. The present study proposes to map student counseling services in Europe.MethodsThe sample of institutions was sourced, using standardized data extraction, from the European Tertiary Education Register (ETER). Then, each institution’s website was analyzed for information about the availability of student counseling centers and the services provided. Data extracted from the ETER database were: ETER ID, national identifier, institution name, English institution name, number of students, legal status (in English), institution category (in English), and institutional website. Data extracted from institutions’ websites concerned the availability of students’ psychological centers and the services provided. Analyses were carried out using the SPSS Statistics software package (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, United States), version 26.ResultsOverall, it was found that most institutions do not provide mental health counseling services for their students. Institutions of medium dimensions showed a higher probability of reporting students’ psychological centers than small institutions. Moreover, private institutions and public institutions were more likely to report having such centers, while private government-dependent institutions were less likely. Universities of applied sciences and universities were more likely to report having them, while other institutions were less likely. Regarding provision according to geographic area, compared to Northern Europe, every other European region was less likely to report featuring such centers. Most institutions reported offering counseling, career counseling, or not otherwise specified psychological services, but only a small number reported providing services such as psychotherapy, psychiatric services, or counseling for learning-specific disabilities.ConclusionIt is critically important to catalog European data on student counseling centers and services, to encourage tertiary education institutions to invest in such services as key sites for mental health promotion. Indeed, professionally trained staff and the possibility of long-term treatment options would go a long way in supporting students who might not otherwise have access to treatment.

Implementation of Counseling Services for Students in Pandemi Time

This study aims to analyse the Implementation of Counseling Services for Students in Pandemi Time. This study uses a type of qualitative research method. Bogdan and Taylor define qualitative methods as research procedures that produce descriptive data in the form of written words orally from people and observable behavior. Kirk and Miller define that qualitative research is a particular tradition in social science that is fundamentally dependent on human observation both in its field and in terminology. The conclusion that the researchers got from this mini-research or observation is that in providing guidance and counseling services, not all counseling teachers provided this service to students during a pandemic, and some did not even provide the service, if any, the service provided by the guidance teacher. Counseling to service students is only in the form of a warning if the student's hair is long, a warning for being late or not paying tuition fees, a warning regarding students who rarely attend school, informing students who have received scholarships, and also guidance if there is a competition. That's all the services provided.

Modeling Techniques in Group Counseling to Improve Student Learning Discipline and Self-Control

This study aims to test the effectiveness of group counseling with modeling techniques in improving 11th grade students’ learning discipline and self-control in SMA Muhammadiyah 3 Yogyakarta. This experimental study involved fourteen students recruited using the purposive sampling technique. The data collection used is a scale of learning discipline and self-control. The data analysis technique used in this study was non-parametric statistics with the Man Withney (U) test and the Wilcoxon test using the SPSS 20.0 for windows. The results of the Wilcoxon test showed that: (1) the modeling technique was effective in increasing the learning discipline of class XI students (sign = 0.018&lt;0.05) and (2) the modeling technique was effective in increasing self-control in class XI students (sign = 0.018&lt;0, 05) The results of the Wilcoxon test show that the modeling technique group counseling service is effective in improving learning discipline and self-control in class XI students of SMA Muhammadiyah 3 Yogyakarta. The results of the Mann Whitney test showed that: (1) the modeling technique was effective in increasing the learning discipline of class XI students (sign = 0.002 &lt;0.05) and (2) the modeling technique was effective in increasing self-control in class XI students (sign = 0.002 &lt;0 ,05) The results of the Mann Whitney test show that the modeling technique group counseling service is effective for improving learning discipline and self-control for class XI students at SMA Muhammadiyah 3 Yogyakarta. The results of this study can be used as a recommendation for BK teachers as an alternative to providing counseling services for students related to learning discipline and self-control, so that students have good learning discipline and self-control.

Problems and Countermeasures of College Students' Mental Health Education.

Compared with the previous teaching environment and model, college students need more self-awareness and self-discipline to learn better. In order to solve many mental health problems of college students, this work studies that the school should increase policy support to relevant parties and strengthen the cultivation of college students' psychological counseling ability, so as to provide more psychological counseling services for college students. This work studies and analyzes the common problems in contemporary college students' mental health education, such as lack of teachers, mere formality, imperfect system, and poor pertinence, and puts forward the corresponding countermeasures for college students' mental health education. When college students enter the university, they need to further improve their knowledge and ability to achieve professional development in a relatively loose learning environment. University is a key period for college students' personality improvement and physical and mental development. With the increasing pressure of social employment, the psychological pressure of college students is increasing. This study provides a reference for the mental health problems of college students.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Nature of Academic Work in Colleges of Education in Ghana

This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the nature of academic work in Colleges of Education in Ghana. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. A sample of 346 students was selected for the study. The participants chosen from the Evangelical Presbyterian College of Education, Peki College of Education and the St. Theresah College of Education in the Volta Region of Ghana through purposive, convenience and snowball sampling procedures. Data were gathered using an online questionnaire. Data were received from 270 students resulting in a 78% return rate. The data were analysed using frequencies and percentages as well as means and standard deviations. The results showed that tutors in Colleges of Education mostly taught during the COVID-19 period by sending audio recordings, texts or slide presentations to students. This was however not done in real time. Also, the tutors gave assignments and quizzes and gave feedback on the performance of the students. Finally, it was found that most students’ services were not provided satisfactorily when school came to an abrupt end because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Specifically, student counselling services, student affairs services, organisation of tutorials/seminars and practical classes as well as technical support or IT services and supervisions and mentorships were not satisfactorily provided. It was therefore recommended that authorities in Colleges of Education should liaise with officers in charge of specific services like counselling, student affairs and technical or IT support so that they can effectively and satisfactorily assist students even when they are not on campus.

Intention to Use Voluntary Counseling and Testing Services among College Students

Background: HIV is a health problem of global concern. A large number of HIV cases in Surakarta is due to various factors such as the characteristics of adolescents, knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs to reduce HIV prevention through the use of VCT services. This study aims to analyze the relationship between age, gender, type of study program, information exposure, organizational participation, knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs in using VCT to use Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) services for college students. Method: This research was a quantitative study with a cross-sectional approach. The study population was all students at one university in Surakarta in the 2016-2017 class as many as 12,457 students, while the research sample was 500 students who were taken using a proportional random sampling technique. Data analysis using chi-square test and logistic regression. Results: The results of the multivariate analysis showed that students' knowledge of HIV / AIDS and VCT affected the intention to use VCT services with an OR = 1.776 (CI = 1.170-2.695). The bivariate test results showed that there was a relationship between information exposure (p-value = 0.001), knowledge (p-value = 0.007), attitude (p-value = 0.006) and belief (p-value = 0.013) with the intention to use VCT services. Meanwhile, there was no relationship between age (p-value = 0.118), gender (p-value = 0.579), type of study program (p-value = 1,000), organizational participation (p-value = 0.352) with the intention of using VCT services. Students' knowledge of HIV / AIDS and VCT was the most dominant VCT intention. Therefore, providing information about VCT to students is necessary to increase students' knowledge and confidence in using VCT services.

Perceived Safety of Learning Environment and Associated Anxiety Factors during COVID-19 in Ghana: Evidence from Physical Education Practical-Oriented Program.

The outbreak of COVID-19 led to the swift migration to alternate instructional delivery models and pedagogical practices in educational institutions. This study examined the perceived safety of the learning environment and associated anxiety factors among physical education students amidst COVID-19. Using a cross-sectional design, a sample of 638 students drawn purposively and conveniently from a public university in Ghana completed a self-developed questionnaire. Frequency counts, percentages, and ordered logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Findings of the study showed that students perceived the practical lesson environment as unsafe, with self-reported moderate to high levels of anxiety during their practical lessons. The ordered logistic regression results revealed that varied factors such as age, COVID-19 information platforms, certainty about personal safety, and adequacy of preparation to manage COVID-19 cases were associated with anxiety. The study concluded that an unsafe practical physical education learning environment increases the anxiety levels of students. Academic departments/units should provide periodic interventions (e.g., positive self-talk, mental rehearsal, cognitive restructuring) and counseling services for students amidst the ongoing pandemic to help moderate situational-specific anxiety. In addition, key to the management of students’ anxiety is the provision of a safe and supportive school environment, including the provision of adequate personal protective equipment for practical lessons by school authorities.

Developing a national database for higher education student counselling services: the importance of collaborations.

Student counselling services are at the forefront of providing mental health support to Irish Higher Education students. Since 1996, the Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education in Ireland (PCHEI) association, through their annual survey collection, has collected aggregate data for the sector. However, to identify national trends and effective interventions, a standardised non-aggregate sectoral approach to data collection is required. The Higher Education Authority funded project, 3SET, builds on the PCHEI survey through the development of a national database. In this paper, we outline the steps followed in developing the database, identify the parties involved at each stage and contrast the approach taken to the development of similar databases. Important factors shaping the development have been the autonomy of counselling services, compliance with General Data Protection Regulation, and the involvement of practitioners. This is an ongoing project with the long-term sustainability of the database being a primary objective.

MANAJEMEN LAYANAN BIMBINGAN DAN KONSELING BAGI SISWA BROKEN HOME MELALUI PENDEKATAN ASWAJA [MANAGEMENT OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING SERVICES FOR BROKEN HOME STUDENTS THROUGHT THE ASWAJA APPROACH

The purpose of this research is to discuss planning, organizing, and implementing counseling services for broken home students through the Aswaja approach. This article uses a type of qualitative research with a case study approach. In this research, data collection techniques with observation, interviews, and documentation. In data analysis, the researcher went through the stages of data reduction, presenting the data, and concluding the data. The researcher validated the data obtained using triangulation of techniques and sources. The findings in this research consist of: First, guidance and counseling teachers plan counseling services by making needs analysis, work programs, and activity plans. Second, guidance and counseling teachers organize their activity plans in coordination with the homeroom teacher. The things discussed were the majority of problems that arose in the previous year and the selection of the Aswaja approach as a treatment for the aspirations and input of stakeholders. Third, guidance and counseling teachers carry out counseling services at any time when problems arise, regardless of the schedule of activities made. Fourth, guidance and counseling teachers encounter obstacles in the form of not having special time for counseling services and having to take active lesson hours, while the supporting factors for implementing the Aswaja approach cannot be separated from the support of homeroom teachers and religious teachers.

The Study of Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety in Undergraduate Medical Students – A Cross-Sectional Study

Depression and anxiety with other phobic and behavioral disorders manifest as a continuum of spectrum of psychiatric disorders, with social phobia being an important subset and particular type of anxiety disorder almost predominantly having its onset in adolescence. Depression and anxiety also have certain common biological underpinnings. Moreover, these comorbid disorders overlap with each other in many aspects. A cross-sectional study was done among medical undergraduate students in Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, BG Nagara, Nagamangala Taluk, from April 2020 to June 2020. The study comprised 100 students. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data regarding sociodemographic profile, depression, anxiety symptoms, social phobia, and their determinants. In the present study, out of 100 participants, 63 students had depression, mild mood disturbance was the most common type (31 students) followed by borderline depression in 17 students and moderate depression in 13 students. Two students complained of severe depression. Out of 33 students who had anxiety, mild anxiety was the most common type (18 students) followed by moderate anxiety in 11 students and severe anxiety was complained by 4 students. Our study highlights the fact that there is a prevalence of mild-to-moderate depression among students in our considered area and these findings necessitate the incorporation of various health-care interventions at the schooling level such as student counseling services offering mental health assistance to improve their overall well-being and personality from a young age.

School Counseling Programs Identifying Academic Development Needs

This study examined student, parent, and faculty perceptions of academic development needs and related comprehensive school counseling program services from four urban middle and high schools. Participants ( n = 1,032) completed a survey designed to assist schools in planning and evaluating their career and college readiness programs, and exploring perceived student support needs. Statistically significant differences were observed in stakeholder perceptions among 12 identified interventions that support improved academic development, through factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) and pairwise comparisons analysis. Findings provide valuable information about prioritizing student academic counseling services strategically and effectively, to meet program needs of students in high-poverty schools.

An analysis of Situational Barriers Affecting Postgraduate Students in Private Universities in Kenya

This study investigated situational challenges affecting postgraduate students in a private university in Kenya. It was motivated by the low completion rates in postgraduate studies, with many students completing their studies far beyond the stipulated time period. While many obstacles may hinder postgraduate student progress in their studies, it was found necessary to investigate situational challenges that could hinder students’ progress. The study utilised a survey design. Using a sample of 20 postgraduate students, a survey was conducted using a questionnaire. Data analysis was done using SPSS. Frequencies and percentages were the statistics used to make related findings and interpretation. It was found that students experienced work-related challenges, and distance to consult supervisors were the greatest challenges. However, students reported high self-confidence that they could complete their studies on time and possessed adequate proposal/thesis writing skills. It was therefore concluded that student counselling services be provided by the institution to adequately guide the students in balancing work and studies. Online supervisory platforms should also be provided to address the time that students took to travel to meet with their supervisors.

Smartphone Addiction and Quality of Sleep among Indian Medical Students

Background: Smartphone is an indispensable miracle of artificial intelligence in the hands of global netizens. Medical students overburdened and sleep-deprived due to the curricular demands can have serious health effects due to further sleep deprivation caused by problematic smartphone use, affecting their work proficiency as practicing physicians. This study aimed to evaluate the association of smartphone addiction and quality of sleep among medical students across all semesters, along with other background variables. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 224 medical students of a tertiary care teaching hospital in North India using a self-administered questionnaire with four parts –Socio-demographic characteristics, General health questionnaire (GHQ-12), Smartphone addiction scale-short version (SAS-SV), and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Results: The prevalence of smartphone addiction is was found out to be 33.33% in females and 46.15% in males. In the study, 63.39% were poor sleepers as assessed by their PQSI scores, and 62.05% reported poor health status as per their GHQ scores. There was a positive correlation between overall PQSI scores and smartphone use duration per day, SAS-SV scores, and GHQ scores. Conclusion: The high prevalence of excessive smartphone usage among medical students is a cause for concern and is detrimental to their health and sleep quality. The research addresses current lacunae in correlating smartphone addiction with smartphone usage before sleeping and right after waking up. Risky behavior adoption and pervasive mood changes associated with excessive smartphone use are addressed with equal representation across semesters. The study recommends increasing self-awareness for help-seeking to regulate smartphone usage and providing counseling services for students in their formative years.